Pariya Sripakdeevong

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.