Will S. IB Psych SLY1 08/01/08 Essay #4 Discuss the extent to which psychodynamic psychology offers a satisfactory explanation of the development of personality Many psychodynamic theories focused on the development of personality. Famous theorists such as Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Erik Erikson emphasized on the significant impact the unconscious mind has on personality development. First, we will discuss Freud’s psychosexual development during childhood and the development of the mind (tripartite system), which, Freud believed, are the major determinants of personality. Next, we will discuss Jung’s theory of the unconscious mind (containing the collective unconscious) and the theory of personality (extroversion and introversion), which may lead to individualization —the transformation of the fullest sense of the world. Finally, we will discuss Erikson’s psychosocial development, which was modified from Freud’s ideas, and the epigenetic principle, concerning that balance makes the best trait.
Freud believed that personality is set during childhood, as a result from the progression of the child during psychosexual development. In the psychosexual development, parts of the conscious mind (ego and super ego) and the unconscious mind (the id) undergoes development. During the oral stage, only the id is presented in a child. According to Freud, the id is a “cauldron full of seething excitation” where psychic energy is directed for the fulfillment of wishes. The id is located in the unconscious mind, containing two instincts: the Eros (sexual drives) and the Thanatos (aggressive drive). The id operates on the pleasure principle, where it seeks for immediate satisfaction of its drives, without consideration of consequences. The id is neither affected by logic nor the external world. Accordingly, the id is only satisfied when its aggressive gratifications is accomplished. The satisfactions gained result in the feeling of pleasure. During the oral stage, the child acts pretty much like the id, demanding for its wants without the consideration of consequences. Like the inexperienced child, the id’s demands are unrealistic and unacceptable in the real world. Nonetheless, towards the end
of the oral stage, the child must notice the limitations that some demands are unrealistic and learn delayed gratification that every wish is not satisfied immediately, in order to process to the next stage. If the child failed, the child would be stuck in the oral stage causing the child to be orally fixated. Common behaviors found in orally fixated people are habits such as chewing pen and smoking, in the case that the parents give too much, or drink and eat in excess if the parents give the child too less during the oral stage. The next psychosexual stage is the anal stage. During this stage, the child undergoes the development of the ego. According to Freud's tripartite system, the ego is located on the tip of the iceberg (only a minor part of the mind) and has access to the conscious. Freud stated that the ego is "that part of the id which is modified by direct influences of the external world". Hence, the ego seeks to satisfy the id’s gratification, with consideration of reality. The ego operates on the reality principle, where it seeks to accomplish satisfaction realistically, by finding possible ways that are less threatening than the actual wish demanded by the id. Since the aggressive gratifications from the id are unacceptable in reality, the ego uses Defense Mechanism in order to regain control over the id. Some examples of Defense Mechanism are repression (blocking id’s impulses from gaining access to consciousness), displacement (displacing uncomfortable issues to other weaker things), denial (arguing against anxiety provoking stimuli by denying its existence), reaction formation (where ego transform unacceptable impulses to its opposite), and regression (going back to psychosexual stages, resulting in childish habits when the person feels uncomfortable). However, exaggerated use of Defense Mechanism can lead to neurosis. According to Freud, abnormalities are found mostly in repressed women who are unsatisfied. (Note that cultural factors should be considered for this claim, since during the Victorian era women were suppressed, and most of Freud’s patients were women.) According to Freud, these unconsciously expressed desires, repressed by the ego, can be observed through interpretation of dreams (where symbolically expressed desires seen in the Manifest content suggest the real desire in the Latent Content), and through Para praxes or Freudian slip (slip of the mouth). The ego is amoral, (either moral or immoral), where it seeks to satisfy in possible way without harming itself or the id. During the anal stage, the child develops a sense of reality and knows what is possible and impossible to do. However, the child could
be stuck in the anal stage, if the parents are too strict, resulting in Anal Retentive, where the child is obsessed to cleanliness, and obedient. Alternatively, if the parent is not strict enough, the child could experience anal expulsive, meaning that the child would later lack order in life and would be self indulgent. As the ego grows during the phallic stage, the child then undergoes the development of the super-ego. The super ego operates on the Morality Principle, where it seeks to suppress the id's aggressive drive through the ego. The super ego seeks to restrict everything and hence is as unrealistic as the id. The super ego is also known as the conscience—internal guilt when something wrong is done—and the ego-ideal—pride when standards are accomplished. The development of the super ego occurs as a resolution of the Oedipus complex. The phallic stage is the period of anxiety in which the child experiences sexual desires towards the parent of the opposite sex, and hatred towards the parent of the same sex. (The term Oedipus complex is used for the boy, where the girls’ anxiety is called the Elektra complex although Freud never accepted it). In the case of the Little Hans, Freud interpreted that Little Hans develop sexual desires towards his mother, as Little Hans wanted to stay and "coax" with his mother all the time. Consequently, Little Hans develop death wishes against his father; for Little Hans saw his father as bring his rival. Little Han's horse-phobia is a result of his ambivalence feeling towards his father: hatred but also fear of castration (castration complex). The Oedipus complex usually leads to the resolution of identification (use of defense mechanism) to the parents of the same sex. The boy tend to identify with his father, since he know that his father is much stronger than him (have bigger penis). Alternatively, the girl identifies with her mother, and usually represses their sexual desires, causing them to be submissive according to Freud. After the resolution of the Oedipus complex, the child develops its super-ego, as they develop the sense of rightness and wrongness. Through introjections, process where personality incorporates norms and standards of culture through identification with parents the child develops, the child learns to restrict wants and needs by the id. Through identification, the child observes the standard rules, and regulation of the culture. Hence, the super-ego is like the adult side while the id is like the childish side. However, if the child fails to develop its moral sense, the child would be stuck in the phallic stage, which may result in homosexual males or sexual/asexual purical females.
After the phallic stage, personality is pretty much set. In the Latency stage, the child then experiences the outside world, turns its interest to exploring, and develops the social sides. In the Genital stage, the person's personality as well as how they tend to deal with relationship, which they developed during childhood, is exercised in real relationship. Freud stated that childhood is the most important stage for personality development. His theories remain the most prominent and relevant psychodynamic explanation for personality development. The composition of the tripartite system and the psychosexual development are significant basis of many other psychodynamic theories. Yet, these accounts were stated more directly to males, through the disparity in gender consideration during the Victorian Era. Freud’s theories still remain un-falsifiable and received many criticisms. Hence, does the theory derived from such gender and cultural considerations explain all aspects of personalities? So to say, is every single trait of personality in both male and female completely developed by the end of the phallic stage?
According to Carl Jung, personality is influenced mostly by the collective unconscious and the personal unconscious, where balance of every aspects of personality will lead to individualization or self-realization. According to the theory of the unconscious, the unconscious mind consists of the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. The personal unconscious contains temporary forgotten memories and truly repressed materials and complexes. The complexes are clusters of linked emotions, memories, and attitudes that form mini sub-personalities within the personal unconscious, resulting from personal experience. The collective unconscious is shared with all human races and contains archetypes, which is the guidelines that links everybody together. If a person accepts the existence of the archetypes, the person will be closer to self realization or the transformation to the fullest sense of the world. However, if a person denies the existence of the archetypes, then energy of the negative force that is denied would be directed to forming the complexes. The three main archetypes are shadow (our dark sides), anima and animus, and the mana-personalities. According to the principle of opposite that stated that every thought immediately suggest its opposite: a good thought always also
suggest a bad thought. Hence, every good personality (ego) has a dark side of it (shadow). According to the principle of equivalence, energy created from oppositions will direct to both sides equally. Consequently, if the energy directed to the shadow is denied, repressed complexes can be form, resulting in nightmare or can even possess a person to have multiple personality. The anima and animus are the female and male sides of a male and female. According to the principle of opposites, every male has feminine characteristics in the collective unconscious (anima), and every female has masculine characteristics within herself (animus). If a person fails to recognize an anima or animus, this can result in projection or possession. In anima/animus projection, an individuated man or woman identify with symbolically masculine or feminine characteristics. A man who does not recognizes his symbolically feminine characteristics will project these characteristics onto women, resulting in feeling compelling strong emotion or infatuation towards a few women who has the characteristic of the anima. This applies the same way with a woman, resulting in infatuation towards few men with the characteristics of her animus. In possession, a man or woman does not develop feminine or masculine characteristics by consciously presenting only masculine or feminine characteristics. Consequently, an individuated man would be taken over by his anima at times, leading to childish and immature behaviors at times. Similarly, a female would be possessed by her animus at times, resulting in her opinionated, argumentative characteristics. The Mana personality is the spirit and matter archetypes. A person who accepts that there is always the form and formless within everything holds the true understanding of the world. By also accepting shadow and anima/animus archetypes the person would reach individuation. In individuation, a person recognizes his or her self archetypes— transcendence of all opposites— when every aspects of personalities is expressed equally. The self archetype is represented as a circle, which symbolizes completeness. According to the principle of entropy, there is a tendency for opposition to come together as energy is distributed. As a person grows older archetypes are more commonly accepted. An aged person tends to accept the dark sides of personality, the similarities within a male and female, and the spiritual and matter form. Hence, as a person grows older they tend attain self realization more spontaneously. Transcendence is attained when a person is aware of
existence of opposites: the conscious and the unconscious, good and bad, male and female, ego and shadow, and etc. Personality, as stated above, is also influenced by our personal experiences (personal unconscious). Our experience and how we react towards the world can result in introversion or extroversion. An introvert would direct his or her libido (life force) inwards the metal world. Hence, that person tends to keep his or her self of his or her self, and avoid excessive social contact. An extrovert directs his or her libido towards the outside would, resulting the person of be friendly, outgoing, and flexible. Extroverts tend to seek for social stimulation. There are four ego functions that result in personalities. The two rational opposing functions are thinking and feeling (rational means that it involves judging and decision making), A thinker would evaluate information in an analytical way, while a feeler would based their judgment according to emotional response. The irrational functions are sensing and intuiting (irrational means that it involves perception). A sensor would be observant of the world, and tends to be good at listening and looking. An intuitive person would see around the corner and is able to anticipate without having physical cause. Accordingly, if a person is developed more on of the opposing function, that person would tend to be under develops of another function. For example, a good thinker would be under developed in feeling, and a sensitive person would usually not be a intuitive person. Similar to accepting archetypes, the best trait result from being aware of and attaining balance of all of the four functions. Jung derived his theories based upon mysticism and existentialism. His theories are claimed to be more positive, less reductive, and not sexually-based than those of Freud’s. Thus Jung received only few criticisms. The theory of the unconscious and the theory of personality were supported from art and cultural expressions. Although there are some criticisms about mystical biased, Jung’s theories were accepted as ‘classical’. Jungian therapies are used to treat minor psychiatric illness nowadays. Personally, Jung’s theories offer the explanation of the development of personality to a satisfying extent.
Erik Erikson’s theory was based on Freud’s psychosexual development, but focused on personality developed according to relationships with others. Unlike the psychosexual development, the psychosocial development also concerns stages within the whole life time (not just during childhood although Erikson agreed that childhood experiences have a significant impact on personality). Erikson, similarly to Jung, believed that the best traits result from attaining balance. Erikson’s psychosocial development states that the shaping of a healthy personality is the result from one’s awareness of the environment. According to the epigenetic principle, the progress through each stage determines success or lack of success in all previous stages. Each stage is presented with a crisis in which a person has to solve in order to gain virtue (balance). Too much of the positive trait would result in maladaptation, while too much of the negative trait would result in malignancy. Childhood experiences could determine a major part of a person’s personality. During infancy, the child faces the psychological crisis of trust versus mistrust. If the child is successful in trusting and feels safe in the world, the child would gain the virtue hope. However, the child could fail to gain hope if the child trusts too much or too less. If the child feels too secure about the world, the child would develop sensory distortion. Yet, if the child doesn’t develop the sense of security, the child would experience withdrawal and would tend to carry the sense of mistrust over other relationships. At about age two or three, the child is developing physically and faces the psychological crisis of autonomy versus shame and doubt. During early childhood, the child needs encouragement and support from parents, in order to be independent while feeling secure about being protected from failure. If the balance of protection and encouragement are practiced on the child, it would gain the virtue of willpower. However, if the parent offers too much encouragement, the child would develop impulsivity, causing it to be overly confident. If the parent fails to encourage the child’s autonomy, the child would develop the malignancy of compulsion, resulting in the traits of dependency and low self-esteem. The play age is “the time of vigor of action and of behaviors” (Bee, 1992). During this stage, the child faces the psychological crisis of initiative versus guilt. If the parents encourage the child to initiate games, and punish it sometimes if the child goes through restrictions, the child would gain the virtue of purpose. However, if the parent doesn’t punish at all, the child may become ruthless, causing it to be merciless and
act only to accomplish goal. If the parent punishes too much, the child would develop inhibition, or the trait of fearing to act and not reaching the full potential. The child then learns specific skills at school during age six to twelve. Peer group becomes more significant and is now the major source of the child esteem. During school age, the child faces the psychological crisis of industry versus inferiority. If the child achieves goals, the child will gain the virtue competence. However, the child could develop the maladapation of narrow virtuosity, which results the child to have only competition in life. Alternatively, if the child is not successful in achieving goals, the child could develop inertia, causing the child to remain follower. Moreover, during adolescence, the teenage faces the crisis of identity versus role confusion. The teenager learns the roles as an adult, and seeks to find out the identity or who he or she really is. According to Erikson, this stage is a crucial stage, since it involves discovering ones identity. Success to feel comfortable and on the top of adolescence changes will lead to the virtue of fidelity. Yet, teenager could develop the maladapation of fanaticism, leading the teenager to be headstrong or bullies. Contrastingly, if the teenager fails to find his or her social role, the teenager may experience repudiation. During adulthood, personality is determined by the relationship of how the person acts towards others rather than how others act towards the person during childhood. During young adulthood, the concern is to develop relationships with others and faces the psychological crisis of intimacy versus isolation. If successful in commitment, the young adult would gain the virtue of love. During adulthood, the adult is to commit to the world, as the faces the crisis of generativity versus stagnation. By helping and caring for others, the adult would gain the virtue of care. Finally, the last stage of the psychosocial development is the late adulthood stage. As the adult turns old, the adult looks back to past life and faces the psychological crisis of integrity versus despair. If the senescent person is satisfy with life’s accomplishments, the adult would gain the virtue of wisdom. Diverging from Freud, Erikson focused on how we socially interact rather than how we direct our sexual forces as Freud did. Not only that, the psychosocial development carries throughout our whole life, unlike Freud’s psychosexual development. Alternatively, Erikson, like Freud, suggests that how we are taken care of and the amount of encouragement we receive during childhood is a major determination of personality. According to Erikson, the
best trait is a result from virtue gained from every stage throughout the whole life of a person. Erikson laid a good foundation on personality development, based on social factors. Yet, the traits tend to direct on always the two opposite way of having activeness and leadership skills versus being inert and remain follower. Personally, I think there are much more factors that make a good trait than being able to taking the lead, in order to be satisfied with life.
Psychodynamic psychology offers explanation on the development of personality that is affected unconsciously, especially during childhood. Freud’s psychosexual development deals with the development of personality during childhood. Freud believed that personality is developed through exploring the gratification from the id (oral stage), using defense mechanism through the development of the ego (anal stage), and learning restrictions through the development of the super ego after the resolution from the Oedipus complex (phallic stage). Jung explained personality development through the basis of the collective unconscious mind, which contains archetypes that are shared in our human race. If a person accepts these archetypes, according to Jung, individualization would be attained, yet if a person denies the existence of the archetypes various abnormalities or weak traits might appear. Jung also commented that personalities depend on how we direct out libido; resulting us to be extroverts or introverts. Erikson’s psychosocial development deals with the interaction and relationship with between a person and others and the effect of personality gained through each stage. Similar to Freud, Erikson focused on childhood development. Similar to Jung, Erikson believed that balance in exercising each trait leads to gaining the virtue. Many psychodynamic theories provide basis for the understanding of the development of personality. However, does the development of personality entirely depend on the unconscious mind, our childhood experiences, or the balance we attain? Psychodynamic psychology may not satisfy the explanation of every aspect of personalities, which can be studied through other psychological perspectives.
