Personality is a concept that refers to a unique and individual vision of the human being, that is, it is the vision we have of each person, a fact that causes each one to be different from the others. Specifically, personality is formed thanks to a set of traits and characteristics that determine the behavior, conduct and way of acting of people in different situations and contexts. Thus, broadly speaking, personality is what allows us to differentiate a person from others. But why do we have one personality and not another? How is personality formed? And above all, what does it depend on? In this Psychology-Online article: Personality development: stages and influencing factorswe will give answers on this exciting topic.
Stages of personality development
The two best-known theories of personality that emphasize the different stages that make up its development are, on the one hand, the theory of and, on the other hand, the theory of Erik Erikson. They are explained below.
Stages of personality development according to Freud
According to the , personality development is divided into five stages or phases that are identified with erogenous zones, the organs in which people’s sexual pleasure, energy and libido are focused.
Furthermore, it should be noted that due to the experience of some trauma, a fixation or a regression in the development process, so if there is an alteration in one of the specific stages, the person’s personality will be determined by that. Freud’s stages are:
Oral stage (0-1 year)
It is the first stage of development that begins at birth and lasts until the first year of a person’s life. In this stage or phase, the pleasure is found in the mouth and is obtained with sucking, sucking, eating or biting activities. It is usually related to the act of sucking, biting objects, among others. The correct evolution of this stage depends on the pleasant and secure experiences that children experience during this time. Thus, according to Freud, a great example of trauma experienced in this situation that can cause a fixation at this stage is the fact of stopping breastfeeding earlier than planned or doing it for longer than necessary. The results of a fixation at this stage can be tobacco addictions, nail bitingamong others.
Anal stage (1-3 years)
This stage begins at one year and ends at 3 years. It is characterized by being the stage in which the source of pleasure is in the anus, therefore, it is related to pleasurable activities of sphincter control (also including the bladder), such as retain and/or expel feces. According to Freud, at this stage two problems can arise if an adequate evolution is not followed: on the one hand, children can present a great retention of feces, leading to constipation and consequently developing a stubborn character. On the other hand, children may rebel and pass feces at inopportune times and consequently develop a most destructive character.
Phallic stage (3-6 years)
The third stage of development according to Freud begins at age 3 and ends at age 6 and the source of pleasure is focused on the Fondling (in the case of women the clitoris, comparable to the clitoral stage). This stage is related to the pleasure that children feel with the exhibitionism of their genitals and the interest in the genitals of the opposite sex and their own. At the beginning of this stage, people show great auto-erotic interest, but as time passes, the focus of interest shifts to the parents, taking into account the Oedipus complex.
Thus, he is characterized by the search for satisfaction in the parent of the opposite sex, although there is also an interest in the parent of the same sex in terms of overcoming their rivalry. It is common for children, at this stage, to seek bodily contact, caresses, masturbate or create fantasies in relation to what adults do. However, there comes a point when the Oedipus complex enters a state of liquidation, where small differences are found between boys and girls.
On the one hand, in the case of children, the hostility they show towards the father conceived as a rival and the sexual interest in the mother make the child expect to be punished with castration. Furthermore, unfulfilled punishment fantasies can lead to neurotic symptoms in the child’s personality. And, it is in this phase of the Oedipus complex in which the child identifies with the father and wants to adopt his image, the rival aggressiveness disappears and he loses interest in the phallus.
On the other hand, in the case of girlsInitially, in the same way as children, they show love towards their mother (parent of the same sex). But unlike boys, there comes a time when girls discover that they lack a penis, as a result of the smaller size of the clitoris in comparison, and, therefore, they imagine that they have been mutilated. Thus, they attribute the blame for their mutilation to the mother and, to deal with their situation of sexual ambivalence, they decide to choose the father (parent of the opposite sex) as the object of love, due to envy or desire for his penis.
Latency stage (5-12 years)
This stage begins at five years old and ends at twelve, the approximate age at which puberty begins. At this stage, sexual impulses remain dormant, that is, there is a temporary suppression of the sexual instinct in children during this period. In this sense, this stage is characterized by not having a specific area where pleasure is focused.
Genital stage (puberty and maturity)
This is the last stage of development according to Freud and is accompanied by physical, psychological and emotional changes typical of age. The erogenous zone in which pleasure is focused is once again the genitals, although in this case, people already have the ability to express sexuality based on consensus and the bond with other people. In other words, we could say that it is about adult and mature sexuality. This stage is characterized by the appearance, again, of sexual interests and satisfaction, sexual activities begin to be carried out, and sexual organization and maturity occur. In addition, people’s sexual identity is reaffirmed. Finally, it should be noted that in this stage aspects such as kindness, affection, receptivity, securityaptitude, ability to understand and appreciate the well-being of others, the inclination to collaborate with other people, etc.
Stages of personality development according to Erikson
According to the , personality development is divided into eight stages different, ranging from the birth of people to their death. These stages consist of the search and adaptation of people in the environment and, in each of these stages there are opposite concepts that come into conflict. Furthermore, people’s goal is to achieve a balance between both opposite concepts and obtain an achievement at the end of each stage. Erikson’s stages are:
Trust vs distrust (0-18 months)
The first conflict that people encounter at birth is the one between trust and distrust, and it lasts until approximately 18 months. At these ages, children receive care from their parents in relation to the children’s needs, such as food, protection, attention, among others, so children hope to form a bond with their parents according to the satisfaction of your needs.
Therefore, at this stage, children must battle the conflict between trust and mistrust to generate a bond of trust with their parents. Well, the feeling of trust, vulnerability, frustration, satisfaction, security, etc., will determine the way to establish relationships and the quality of these relationships with other people throughout his life, at the same time the child must also learn to trust himself. That is, the child’s future relationships with the outside world will depend on the bond that has been created with her parents at this stage.
The objective to be achieved at this stage is to reach the balance point between trust and distrust, a fact that allows the child an adequate adjustment between his autonomy and his social life. Furthermore, another achievement that must be obtained at the end of the stage is hope, that is, the child must understand that the parents will not always be by their side nor will they always be able to satisfy all their needs, so the child must be able to have the hope of surviving when no one can satisfy your needs.
Autonomy vs shame (18 months-3 years)
At this stage, children begin to develop their movement and excretion capabilities, a fact that requires learning and control on the part of parents. In this sense, autonomy is reflected in children since the development of these new capabilities causes them a feeling of freedom because they feel that they no longer depend on their caregivers to be able to move around and, as time goes by, children become more independent thanks to their developed capabilities. However, shame is reflected in children due to their inexperienced way of moving or controlling their sphincters and is also due, to a certain extent, to the freedom that parents provide their children, which implies doubt your abilitiesthat is, what parents consider that children can or cannot do.
The achievement that must be obtained at the end of this stage is the determination or willingness to do or not do the things that the children want, taking into account the confidence they have in themselves. Thus, as time passes, children will carry out tests of their actions to be able to know the effects and consequences that each of their actions entails, in this way, they will develop their autonomy, at the same time that they will need marked limits. of what they can and cannot do. In this sense, they will reach a balance between autonomy and shame, which will lead to a self-control and self-management of their own behaviors.
Initiative vs guilt (3-5 years)
At this stage, children develop their abilities more autonomously than previously. Therefore, thanks to the discovery of their abilities, children realize all the possibilities available to them compared to the previous stage, a fact that encourages children’s initiative, since these test their abilities and skills performing new activities. However, if parents react negatively When faced with the initiative of their children, such as scolding them, it will probably generate a feeling of guilt in the children.
Regarding the achievement that must be obtained at the end of this stage, we must keep in mind that a balance is necessary that allows children to be able to recognize the responsibility of their actions and at the same time feel free to act under that responsibility. ….