Lecture 11: Self and Personality Development Flashcards
categorical self
children classify themselves in a social category based on age, gender and other physical characteristics
self recognition
based on the cognitive development of the brain, social interactions and cultural context
- children in individualistic cultures learn to recognize themselves more quickly
easy temperament (40%)
often satisfied and happy babies. they are open and adapt quickly. they have a regular feeding and sleeping pattern and tolerate frustration
difficult temperament (10%)
they are active, moody, and erratic in their actions. they often react negatively to changes in routine and are slow to get used to new people or situations. they cry frequently and loudly and have outbursts when frustrated
slow-to-warm-up temperament (15%)
they are relatively inactive, somewhat moody and only occasionally regular in their daily schedules. they get used to new people and situations slowly, but they react less violently than babies with a difficult temperament
3 major dimensions of temperament
- intrusiveness/extraversion: the tendency to approach new experiences actively and energetically, in an emotionally positive way. these babies are actively involved in life and laugh a lot
- negative affect: sad, anxious, easily frustrated, moody and difficult to comfort
- effortful control: the ability to focus and shift attention when they want to, suppress reactions and appreciate low-intensity activities such as sitting on a parent’s lap
can be measured by creating situations that provoke fear, anger and joy
goodness of fit between child and environment
the degree to which the child’s temperament is compatible with the demands and expectations of the social world
social comparison
from the age of 8 children can also describe their psychological and social qualities, they develop a social identity, placing themselves in a group. they can also make social comparisons using information about others to evaluate themselves
children in primary school
can assess their self worth according to 5 criteria:
- academic competence
- social acceptance
- behavioral attitude
- athletic competence
- physical appearance
they also develop an ideal self-image
ideal self-image
a picture of themselves as how they should be. the older a person gets, the greater the gap becomes between their ideal self and realistic self
3 factors that influence how we develop our self-image
- genetics: our level of self-esteem is a hereditary trait
- competence
- social feedback
identity
concept of who and what we are. forming an identity is the product of 5 factors:
- cognitive development
- personality
- quality of relationship with parents
- cultural context
- opportunities for exploration
moratorium period
according to Erikson, society stimulates young people by giving them a moratorium period; a period in which they are free of responsibilities, in which they can experiment
diffusion/dissemination status
no crisis, no commitment. the individual has not yet thought about the identity or has not yet figured it out, they don’t really care
moratorium status
crisis, but no commitment. the individual experiences an identity crisis and is looking for answers
foreclosure/shielding status
no crisis, but commitment. the individual seems to know who they are and has not thought too much about their identity
identity statues achieved
crisis and commitment. the individual has passed through an identity crisis and experiences commitment to specific goals, beliefs and values
ethnic identity
sense of personal identification with an ethnic group and its values and traditions
occupational identity
another aspect of identity, which is particularly important for the career that is developed
person-environment fit
according to Holland, this is the optimal fit between someones personality and a job. there are 6 personality types, each which fit a cluster of jobs
inquisitive types
enjoy learning, solving problems and being creative with ideas; this suits scientists
social types
like to interact and help others; this suits teachers and counselors or therapists
realistic types
like to do practical work with concrete jobs; this suits car mechanics and construction workers
artistic types
do not want to conform to anything and want to express themselves creatively; this suits artists and musicians
conventional types
prefer structure, order and predictability; this suits accountants and library staff
enterprising types
like to influence others and gain status; this suits salesmen, entrepreneurs and leaders of organizations
how can adults maintain positive self image even when they experience difficulties?
they do this by narrowing the gap between ideal and realistic self-image; by adjusting their goals and standards of self-evaluation to make them more realistic; comparing themselves to older adults instead of younger adults and finally avoiding negative self-stereotyping
maturity principle
towards adulthood, people become more emotionally stable, more cooperative, and easier to work with. adults are more disciplined and more responsible
what ensures that the personality remains stable over time?
genetics ensures continuity. the effects of childhood experiences are long-lasting. traits seem to remain stable when the environment also remains stable. the gene-environment correlation can promote continuity
what causes changes in our personalities?
biological factors such as diseases and dementia. changes in the environment, such as major life events. changes can also be caused by poor person-environment fit
selective optimization with compensation (SOC)
older people best cope with aging by using SOC. for example, people can focus on a few tasks and delegate other tasks (selection), practice more and stay up to date on specialisation (optimization) and take more notes as working memory decreases (compensation)
shy temperament (20%)
these children are anxious and inhibited in new situations, which has both positive and negative effects
- positive: early signs of awareness, discipline
- negative: shyness and anxiety may persist throughout life, causing hinderance in social situations
exuberant temperament
characterized by being uninhibited and fearless when dealing with new situations . there are greater risks of later developing externalizing behavioral problems
