11 Chapter

Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition, Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. RiderChapter 11

Chapter 11

Self and Personality


Personality

• An organized combination of attributes,motives, values, and behaviors– Unique to each individual– Traits

• consistent across situations and time• Self-concept: perceptions• Self esteem: evaluation• Identity: overall sense of who you are


Psychoanalytic Theory

• Sigmund Freud• Three parts of the personality

– Selfish Id; Rational Ego; Moralist Superego• Stages of psychosexual development

– Biological: ends at sexual maturity– Personality formed in first 5 years– Child anxieties become adult traits


Psychoanalytic

• Erik Erikson– Emphasized

• Social influences• Rational ego• Life-span development

– Crisis-oriented stages result from• Maturational forces• Social demands



Trait Theory

• Psychometric approach– Personality: a set of traits– Individual differences in each trait– Measurement approach– “Big Five” - Universal and stable– Evidence of genetic basis– Universal



Social Learning Theory

• Personality– A set of behavior tendencies– Shaped by interactions– Found in specific social situations

• No universal stages• Not enduring traits• People change as environment changes• Situational influences important


Infancy: The Emerging Self

• First 6 months: Discover physical self• Joint attention – 9 months

– Difference in perceptions can be shared• Self-recognition – 18 months• Categorical self (age, sex) - 18 – 24 months• Based on cognitive development• Requires social experience

– The looking-glass self: a “reflection”



Temperament

• Seen in infancy• Genetically based• Tendencies to respond in predictable ways• Building blocks of personality• Goodness of fit (Thomas & Chess)

– Parenting techniques– Learning to interpret cues– Sensitive responding


The Child

• Childhood “Self”• By age 2

– Use of “I” “me” “mine”– Use physical characteristics to describe

• By age 8– Social identity– Personality trait terms used– Social comparison


Self Esteem: Multidimentional

• By 3rd grade (Harter)– Scholastic competence– Social acceptance– Behavioral conduct– Athletic competence– Physical appearance

• Accuracy improves with age


Influences on Self-Esteem

• Competence Differences• Social feedback – positive or negative• Genetic• Parents (cross-cultural)

– Warm and democratic– Enforce clearly stated rules


Early Temperament and Later Personality

• Some weak links found– Shy 3 yr-olds become cautious teens– Difficult 3 yr-olds remain difficult– Well-adjusted 3 yr-olds also

• Current research– Temperament and Big 5 related– May carry-over into adulthood


Adolescent Integration

• Different selves in different situations• Storm and Stress in about 20%• Move to middle school

– Often difficult– Especially for females

• Most readily regain high self-esteem


A Sense of Identity

• Erikson: Identity vs. Role Confusion• Adolescence

– Identity Crisis– Moratorium

• Marcia’s Identity Statuses (next slide)– Diffusion– Foreclosure– Moratorium– Achieved



Influences on Identity Formation

• 1. Cognitive growth: formal operations• 2. Relationships with parents

– Rejection except for diffusion status– Identification w/parents first helps– Foreclosure: may not develop own ID– Achieved more likely if living independently– Moratorium -> Identity Achieved

• Affection and freedom at home


Influences on Identity 2

• 3. Experiences outside the home– E.g., going to college

• 4. Broader cultural context– Modern Western society

• Forge own ID after exploration of many– Traditional societies

• Foreclosure may be more adaptive• Vocational identity: Ginzberg


Self-Concept and Aging

• Stable self-esteem generally good• Ability to adjust ideal to real self• Evaluate self with different standards• Comparisons with age-mates• Related to stable personality traits• Collectivist vs Individualistic culture


Changes in Personality

• Cross-sectional studies show changes• Longitudinal/cross-cultural studies

– Adulthood: achievement and confidence– Older adults

• Activity levels decline• Introversion and introspection increase


Costa & McRae: “The Big 5”

• Biologically based– Cross-age consistency

• Resistant to environmental changes– Historical context influential

• Universal maturational change– Achievement through middle adulthood– Less N, E, and O– More C and A


Influences on Personality Change

• Effects of early experiences• Stability of environment• Gene-environment interaction• Biological factors (disease)• Social environment• Poor person-environment fit


Adulthood: Erikson and Research

• Men: Identity then Intimacy• Women: Identity & Intimacy together• Generativity supported• Integrity supported

– Life review• Path to adulthood

– EE: Eight stages of Development



Midlife Crisis

• Stereotype– Painful self-evaluation– Dramatic life changes– Desire to regain youth

• Erikson: Not really• Levinson: questioning “Life Structure”• Most evidence for trait stability – not change


Vocational Development

• Young adults: career exploration• 1982: average man held 7 jobs between ages

18 and 36• Women: fewer children = better career• Career peaks in 40’s

– Define self by their work– Person/environment fit important


Older Workers and Retirement

• Older workers: competent and satisfied– Selective optimization and compensation

• Retirement phases– Preretirement: Planning– Honeymoon: Novelty of lifestyle w/o work– Disenchantment: Feel aimless, unhappy– Reorientation: Realistic, satisfying lifestyle

• Activity vs. Disengagement theories

11 Chapter

Documents

cognitive development

moratorium identity

social experience

later personality

evaluation identity

identity formation

emerging self

specific social situations