PSYCH 3AG3 Lecture 18: 3AG3-MARCH 9
Document Summary
Changes in needs, motivations, and behaviors are responsible for changes in personality. Focus is on context, rather than just content. As our lives and life tasks change, so do we. Stage theory of lifespan personality development (birth to death) Personality develops as a result of how eight life tasks/stages are resolved. Each task involves a struggle between two opposing tendencies. To resolve, must balance these tendencies: optimal resolution results in basic strength (virtue, optimal is balanced in the middle, leaning slightly more to the positive, suboptimal resolution results in maladaptation or malignancy. Virtues gathered by adulthood: hope (trust vs. mistrust) infancy, determination/will (autonomy vs. shame/doubt) early childhood, purpose (initiative vs. guilt) play age, competence (industry vs. inferiority) school age, fidelity (identity vs. role confusion) teens. Virtues gathered in adulthood: love (intimacy vs. isolation) young adulthood, without losing identity from teen years, friends, mates, colleagues many different social and interpersonal contexts, (cid:498)can i love while being myself? (cid:499)