Life Span CH 11

CHAPTER 11CHAPTER 11

SELF AND PERSONALITYSELF AND PERSONALITY

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

• How is the personality typically defined, How is the personality typically defined, and what are the five principles of and what are the five principles of defining personality?defining personality?

• How do psychoanalytic, trait, and social How do psychoanalytic, trait, and social learning theories explain personality learning theories explain personality development?development?

PersonalityPersonality

• An organized combination of An organized combination of attributes, motives, values, and attributes, motives, values, and behaviorsbehaviors

– Patterns of traits Patterns of traits

•Unique to each individualUnique to each individual

•Consistent across situations and Consistent across situations and time time

• Self-ConceptSelf-Concept: Perceptions: Perceptions

• Self EsteemSelf Esteem: Evaluation: Evaluation

• IdentityIdentity: Overall sense of who you are: Overall sense of who you are

Five Principles ~ McAdams and Pals Five Principles ~ McAdams and Pals (2006)(2006)

• Personality shaped by evolution for Personality shaped by evolution for adaptation to environmentadaptation to environment

• People differ in dispositional traitsPeople differ in dispositional traits• People differ in characteristic People differ in characteristic

adaptationsadaptations• Each has a unique life storyEach has a unique life story• Cultural and situational influences Cultural and situational influences

ever presentever present

Psychoanalytic Theory: Psychoanalytic Theory: Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud

• Three parts of the personalityThree parts of the personality

– Selfish Selfish IdId; ;

– Rational Rational EgoEgo

– Moralist Moralist SuperegoSuperego

• Stages of Stages of psychosexualpsychosexual developmentdevelopment

– Biological: ends at sexual Biological: ends at sexual maturitymaturity

– Personality formed in first Personality formed in first 5 years5 years

– Childhood anxieties Childhood anxieties become become

adult traitsadult traits

Psychoanalytic Theory: Psychoanalytic Theory: Erik EriksonErik Erikson

• Emphasized Emphasized

– Social influencesSocial influences

– Rational egoRational ego

– Life-span developmentLife-span development

• Crisis-Oriented StagesCrisis-Oriented Stages Result Result From:From:

– Maturational forcesMaturational forces

– Social demandsSocial demands

Trait TheoryTrait Theory• PsychometricPsychometric Approach Approach

– Personality: a set of Personality: a set of traitstraits

– Individual differences Individual differences in each traitin each trait

– Measurement Measurement approachapproach

– ““Big FiveBig Five” - Universal ” - Universal and stableand stable

– Evidence of genetic Evidence of genetic basisbasis

– UniversalUniversal

Social Learning TheorySocial Learning Theory

• Personality: A set of behavior Personality: A set of behavior tendenciestendencies

– Shaped by interactions Shaped by interactions

– Found in specific social situationsFound in specific social situations

• No universal stagesNo universal stages

• Not enduring traitsNot enduring traits

• People change as environment People change as environment changeschanges

• Situational influences importantSituational influences important

– E.g., cheating E.g., cheating


• How does self-concept emerge during How does self-concept emerge during infancy and how does it change infancy and how does it change across the life span?across the life span?

• How has infant temperament been How has infant temperament been categorized?categorized?

• How do these temperament styles How do these temperament styles interact with caregiver interact with caregiver characteristics?characteristics?

• How does temperament relate to later How does temperament relate to later personality?personality?

Infancy:The Emerging SelfInfancy:The Emerging Self

• First 6 months: Discover physical selfFirst 6 months: Discover physical self

• Joint attention at about 9 moJoint attention at about 9 mo

– Difference in perceptions can be sharedDifference in perceptions can be shared

• Self-recognition about 18 monthsSelf-recognition about 18 months

• Categorical self (age, sex): 18 – 24 monthsCategorical self (age, sex): 18 – 24 months

• Based on cognitive developmentBased on cognitive development

• Requires Social ExperienceRequires Social Experience

– The looking-glass self: The looking-glass self:

a “reflection”a “reflection”

TemperamentTemperament

• Seen in infancySeen in infancy

• Genetically basedGenetically based

• Tendencies to respond in predictable waysTendencies to respond in predictable ways

• Building blocks of personalityBuilding blocks of personality

• Goodness of FitGoodness of Fit (Thomas & Chess) (Thomas & Chess)

– Parenting techniquesParenting techniques

– Learning to interpret cuesLearning to interpret cues

– Sensitive respondingSensitive responding


• What changes occur in the What changes occur in the development of children’s self-development of children’s self-esteem?esteem?

• What factors influence self-esteem?What factors influence self-esteem?• How does personality evolve over How does personality evolve over

childhood and what do children childhood and what do children understand of their personality?understand of their personality?

Changes in Self-Concept: Age Changes in Self-Concept: Age 88

• Include psychological, social Include psychological, social qualitiesqualities

– Previously used only Previously used only physical traitsphysical traits

• Increased Use of: Increased Use of:

– Social comparison, Social comparison, multidimensionalitymultidimensionality

– Hierarchy with self-worth Hierarchy with self-worth on topon top

• More accurate self More accurate self evaluationsevaluations

• Widening gap between ideal-Widening gap between ideal-self and real-selfself and real-self

Contributions to Higher Self-EsteemContributions to Higher Self-Esteem

• Competence!Competence!• Positive social feedbackPositive social feedback• Warm “democratic” parentsWarm “democratic” parents• Social comparisons that are positiveSocial comparisons that are positive• Some temperament traits establishedSome temperament traits established

– Will develop into adult traitsWill develop into adult traits


• How do adolescents conceptualize How do adolescents conceptualize their selves, including self-esteem their selves, including self-esteem and personality?and personality?

• What factors influence the What factors influence the development of identity during development of identity during adolescence?adolescence?

• How do adolescents make vocational How do adolescents make vocational choices and how does work affect choices and how does work affect adolescents’ identities?adolescents’ identities?

The AdolescentThe Adolescent• Increased awareness of Increased awareness of

psychological and abstract psychological and abstract traitstraits

• Self-concept more Self-concept more integratedintegrated

• Self-esteem dips Self-esteem dips temporarily, reboundstemporarily, rebounds

• Erikson’s Stage of Identity Erikson’s Stage of Identity vs. Role Confusionvs. Role Confusion

– ““Who Am I?”Who Am I?”

– Can last as long as into Can last as long as into early 30searly 30s

Marcia’s Ego Identity Marcia’s Ego Identity StatusesStatuses

• DiffusionDiffusion: “Hey wait a minute – : “Hey wait a minute – theythey didn’t didn’t know everything. Maybe I’m not who they know everything. Maybe I’m not who they said I was.” (No crisis. No commitment)said I was.” (No crisis. No commitment)

• ForeclosureForeclosure:: “I’ll be a (Catholic, Democrat, “I’ll be a (Catholic, Democrat, doctor, etc.) because that’s what they told doctor, etc.) because that’s what they told me was right.” (Commitment without crisis)me was right.” (Commitment without crisis)

• MoratoriumMoratorium: : “Who am I? What is right? Who “Who am I? What is right? Who will I become?” (Crisis, no commitment)will I become?” (Crisis, no commitment)

• Identity AchievedIdentity Achieved: “I can make my own life : “I can make my own life choices.” (Commitment, evolved from crisis)choices.” (Commitment, evolved from crisis)

• The Four Identity Statuses as They Apply to Religious IdentityThe Four Identity Statuses as They Apply to Religious Identity

Identity AchievementIdentity Achievement

• Ethnic Identity begins in infancyEthnic Identity begins in infancy• Vocational Identity - increasingly Vocational Identity - increasingly

realisticrealistic– ““Goodness of fitGoodness of fit” becomes useful” becomes useful

• Influential FactorsInfluential Factors– Cognitive developmentCognitive development– Openness to experience traitOpenness to experience trait– Warm, democratic Warm, democratic

parentingparenting– Culture that encourages Culture that encourages

exploration exploration


• How does personality change How does personality change during adulthood?during adulthood?

• Why do people change or remain Why do people change or remain the same?the same?

• How does culture influence How does culture influence personality?personality?

Self-Concept and Self-Concept and AdulthoodAdulthood

• Stable Self-EsteemStable Self-Esteem– Generally goodGenerally good

• Ability to adjust ideal to real Ability to adjust ideal to real selfself

• Evaluate self with different Evaluate self with different standardsstandards

• Comparisons with age-matesComparisons with age-mates• Related to stable personality Related to stable personality

traitstraits• Losses in self-esteem in Losses in self-esteem in

later old agelater old age

Changes in PersonalityChanges in Personality

• Cross-sectionalCross-sectional studies show more studies show more changeschanges

• LongitudinalLongitudinal, Cross-Cultural Studies, Cross-Cultural Studies– Adulthood: achievement and Adulthood: achievement and

confidenceconfidence– Older adultsOlder adults

•Decrease: activity level, openness Decrease: activity level, openness to experienceto experience

• Increase: introversion, emotional Increase: introversion, emotional stability, conscientiousnessstability, conscientiousness

Influences on Personality Influences on Personality ChangeChange

• HeredityHeredity• Earlier experiencesEarlier experiences• Stability of environmentStability of environment• Biological factors (e.g., Biological factors (e.g.,

disease)disease)• Poor person-Poor person-

environment fitenvironment fit


• What is the focus of each of What is the focus of each of Erikson’s psychosocial stages?Erikson’s psychosocial stages?

• What factors can influence how What factors can influence how each crisis is resolved?each crisis is resolved?

Adulthood – Erikson and Adulthood – Erikson and ResearchResearch

• Identity provides for Identity provides for intimacyintimacy in young in young adulthoodadulthood– More traditional women solve More traditional women solve

identity crisis after intimacy identity crisis after intimacy (marriage, children)(marriage, children)

• Midlife Midlife generativitygenerativity supported supported • ““Midlife crisis” not supportedMidlife crisis” not supported• IntegrityIntegrity in old age supported in old age supported

– Includes life reviewIncludes life review– Life Stories: narrative identity Life Stories: narrative identity

approachapproach


• How do career paths change during How do career paths change during adulthood?adulthood?

• How do adults cope with age-How do adults cope with age-related changes that affect their related changes that affect their working selves?working selves?

• How are older adults influenced by How are older adults influenced by retirement?retirement?

• How can we characterize successful How can we characterize successful aging?aging?

Vocational DevelopmentVocational Development

• Young adults: Career explorationYoung adults: Career exploration

• Thirties: Settling downThirties: Settling down

• Forties & Fifties: Career peaksForties & Fifties: Career peaks

• Older WorkersOlder Workers

– Competent, satisfied, and positiveCompetent, satisfied, and positive

– Selective optimization with Selective optimization with compensationcompensation

RetirementRetirement• Average age 63Average age 63

• Adjustment phasesAdjustment phases

• Success Factors: Success Factors:

– Person-environment fitPerson-environment fit

– Selective optimization Selective optimization

with compensationwith compensation

• Disengagement versus Disengagement versus

Activity TheoryActivity Theory

– Support for activity Support for activity

theorytheory

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Life Span CH 11