The 5 stages of personality development

I am introverted or extroverted, stable or unstable, sensitive or insensitive, intuitive or rational. All these these categories reflect aspects of personality which are widely used in psychology.

The personality we have will mark how we see the world and react to it. But the personal characteristics that are our own have not always been there in the same way, but rather we have gone through different stages of personality development until we become who we are, from childhood to our current situation and even until our future death.

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definition of personality

Personality is defined as a relatively stable pattern of behaviour, thought and emotion over time and through the different situations we experience. This pattern explains how we perceive reality, the judgments that we make of it or the way in which we interact with the environment, being partly inherited and partly acquired and later shaped through life experience.

Due to the fact that it is born in large part from the set of experiences that we live throughout our lives, it is considered that the personality as such is not fully configured until the adulthood, having a long development process until it stabilizes (although it may suffer later variations, they are not frequent nor do they tend to be marked).

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Evolution through the different vital stages

To establish a chronology of the stages of personality development, it is interesting to start from the classification of the main vital stages.

Starting from them as a reference, let's see How does the psychological structure develop? of human beings.

1. the first moments

At the moment a baby is born we cannot consider that she has a marked personality, since the The new individual has not had concrete experiences that cause him to be, think, or act in a certain way. determined. However, it is true that as the days go by we see how the boy or girl has a tendency to behave in a certain way: for example we can observe if he cries a lot or a little, how he feeds or if he responds to touch with fear or curiosity.

These first characteristics they form part of what is called temperament, which is part of the innate constitution of the person and which can later be shaped through learning. Temperament has a biological basis and comes mainly from the genetic inheritance of our ancestors. Being a component linked mainly to affectivity, it is a primal component that will act as the basis for the construction of personality.

2. Childhood

As the subject grows, he gradually develops different cognitive and physical abilities that will allow him to grasp reality, start trying to understand how the world works and how one's own being can influence and participate in it.

This stage is characterized by acquisition of values, beliefs and norms from abroad, in an initially imitative way and with few critical overtones. The personality begins to form as the characteristics of the temperament are confronted to reality, acquiring patterns of behavior and ways of seeing the world and forming character.

In this stage self-esteem tends to be initially high due to the high level of attention that is usually lavished on the minor in the family environment. However, at the time of entering the school world, it tends to decrease, due to the fact that behind the familiar environment to enter an unknown one in which numerous points of view.

3. Puberty and adolescence

Adolescence, the point at which we go from being children to being adults, is a key stage in the formation of personality. It is a complex vital stage in which the organism is in the process of change, while increasing expectations regarding the individual's behavior and the individual begins to experience different aspects and realities.

It is a moment in life characterized by the need to differentiate oneself, and it is frequent that a break or separation appears with respect to the adults in charge and a continuous questioning of everything that until then has been instilled in him.

The number of environments in which the person participates is increased, as well as the number of people with whom they interact, favoring, together with hormonal changes and the increase in the capacity for abstraction typical of cognitive maturation will make him experience different roles that will teach him what he likes and what is expected of him or she. one is given enhancement of the search for social linkage and the first relationships appear. The adolescent seeks his own identity as well as a feeling of belonging to the social environment, trying to insert himself as part of the community and the world.

At this stage, self-esteem tends to vary as a result of insecurities and discoveries typical of adolescence. Through the experimentation the adolescent will go on trying different ways of seeing life, staying and introjecting some aspects and varying others. They search for their own identity, a search that over time crystallizes in a differentiated personality.

4. Adulthood

It is considered that it is from adolescence when we can talk about personality itself, having already forged a relatively stable pattern of behavior, emotion and thought.

this personality will still vary throughout life, but broadly speaking the structure is going to be similar unless some very relevant event happens for the subject that pushes him to make changes in his way of visualizing the world.

In relation to other life stages, self-esteem tends to rise and in general the selfconcept of the adult tends to try to bring his real self closer to the ideal, so shyness decreases, if it has been previously raised. As a consequence, what others think of oneself is no longer so important, and activities can be carried out that in previous stages would be embarrassing.

5. Old age

Although in general the personality continues to be stable, the arrival of old age supposes the progressive experience of situations such as loss of skills, work activity and loved ones, which can greatly affect our way of relating to the world. a tendency to decrease extraversion and self-esteem.

Two old theories about personality development

The items written above reflect a general trend throughout the life stages. However, there are many authors who have established theories about how personality develops. Two of the best known, although also outdated, are Freud's theory of psychosexual development and Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, each establishing different stages of personality development.

In any case, it must be taken into account that these proposals for personality development are based on a paradigm of meta-psychology that has been widely criticized for its speculative nature and impossible to test, which is why today they are not considered scientifically valid, despite the fact that historically they have had a great influence.

Freud's psychosexual development

For the founding father of psychoanalysis, the personality of the human being is configured throughout life through various stages of personality development. The personality is structured in an it or instinctual part, a superego that censors said desires based on morality and a self that mediates between said aspects.

With the libido as fundamental psychic energy, Freud's theory considers that we are born only with our instinctual part, the ego and the superego being born over time as we introject social norms. The constant drive conflicts make the body use defense mechanisms in order to reduce the tension that these produce, some mechanisms that are often used and that allow us to explain features and facets of personality.

For Freud, We go through a series of stages in which we place our sources of pleasure and frustration in different body areas, expressing the libido from them. These stages are gradually overcome, although there may be regressions or stagnation that produce fixations in certain behaviors and ways of seeing the world and relationships personal.

1. oral stage

During the first year of life, the human being is immersed in what is known as the oral stage, in which we use our mouths to explore the world and get gratification from it. We feed, bite and try different objects through it. Thus, the mouth plays the role that the hands will have later on, and for Freud this conditions psychosexual development at this stage of life.

2. anal stage

After the oral stage and until around three years of age, the core of psychosexual interest passes to be the anus, when beginning to control the sphincters and suppose this an element of pleasure to be able to manage what he keeps inside himself and what he expels. The child can defecate, which allows to reduce the internal tension of him, or retain the feces voluntarily.

3. phallic stage

Between three and six years of age the individual usually enters the phallic phase or stage. It is at this stage that there begins to be an interest in the sexual, focusing attention on genitalia and appearing the Oedipus complex, jealousy and regret.

4. latency stage

From the age of seven and up to adolescence we can find that the expression of sexual energy does not find a physical correlate through which to express himself, due in large part to the influence of the social and moral. Modesty appears and sexual urges are reduced.

5. genital stage

Typical of puberty and adolescence, this stage is accompanied by the physical, mental and emotional changes typical of such a vital moment. The libido begins to express itself through genitalia, appearing intensely the desire for bonding and attachment and having sufficient capacity to carry out the expression of sexuality both symbolically and physically.

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Erikson's Psychosocial Development

Another prominent author and one of the pioneers in proposing that personality develops from birth until death was Erik Erikson, who considered that the development of the psychic configuration and the personality They derive from the social nature of the human being. or, in other words, to social interaction.

For this author, each life stage involves a series of conflicts and problems that the individual has to face until they are able to overcome them, growing and strengthening his self as they improve themselves and forging the way of seeing, thinking and acting in the world of each subject.

The different stages of personality development for Erikson are as follows.

1. Basic Trust vs Mistrust

The first of the crises that the human being must face throughout life appears in the same moment of birth, being the base from which the rest of the structure will be configured psychic. According to this theory, lasts until approximately eighteen months of age. During this stage, the individual must decide whether or not he is capable of trusting the stimuli and people coming from abroad or the effects that his own performance has on the world.

That is, if he can feel comfortable in the presence, for example, of his parents and relatives. Passing this stage correctly will imply that you are able to find a balance between trust and distrust in the one that prevails trust, which will allow you to establish secure relationships with other people while trusting yourself same.

Thus, at this stage of Erikson's development, as at subsequent ones, the goal is to reach a point of balance or adjustment in which autonomy fits well with the social life that one leads, without harming or being injured.

2. Autonomy vs Shame/Doubt

After overcoming the previous stage and up to three years of age, the individual will gradually develop his body and his mind, learning to control and manage his body and its behavior from both maturation and practice as well as from the information that comes to it from its parents, who teach it that it can and cannot do.

Over time, these circumstances will be internalized, and the child will be doing behavioral tests to check the effects and consequencesgradually developing their autonomy. They seek to be guided by their own ideas. However, they also need limits, and there is a question as to what they can or cannot do. The objective of this crisis is to achieve self-control and self-management of one's own behavior so that we act in a adaptive.

3. Initiative vs Guilt

In the period of time between three and five years of age, the child begins to develop a greater activity autonomously. Their level of activity drives them to generate new behaviors and ways of relating to the world, appearing the initiative.

However, the feedback from said initiative can generate feelings of guilt in the minor, if the consequences of experimenting are adverse. A balance is necessary that allows us to see our responsibility in our actions at the same time that we can be free.

4. Industriousness vs Inferiority

From the age of seven to adolescence, children continue to mature cognitively and learn how reality works. You need to act, do things, experiment. If you fail to carry them out, feelings of inferiority and frustration may appear. The result of this stage of personality development is to obtain a sense of competence. It is about being able to act in a balanced way, without giving in to the slightest obstacle but without making unattainable expectations.

5. Identity Exploration vs. Identity Diffusion

Typical of adolescence, it is one of the crises best known by most people. At this stage the main problem of the individual is to find his identity, to discover who he is and what he wants. For this they tend to explore new options and separate from what they have known until then. But the large number of variables involved or a limitation of the exploration can mean that the identity does not develop freely, producing multiple personality problems.

6. Intimacy vs Isolation

From the twenties to the forties, the main conflict that the human being must face in the development of his personality is the search for personal relationships and an appropriate and committed way of link up. The capacity is sought that in the interrelationships Feelings of security and confidence can be given.

7. Generativity vs Stagnation

From forty to approximately sixty years of age, the person tends to dedicate himself to the protection of their loved ones and the search and maintenance of a future for the next generations.

At this stage the main conflict is based on the idea of ​​feeling useful and productive, feeling that his efforts make sense. However, it is necessary to take into account that a balance between activity and stillness must be sought, or there is a risk of either not being able to reach everything or not being able to produce or feel utility.

8. Integrity of Self vs. Despair

The last of the vital crises occurs in old age. When the moment arrives in which productivity is reduced or ceases to exist, the subject begins to assess whether his existence has had a meaning. Accepting the life we ​​have lived and seeing it as valid is the fundamentals of this stage, which culminates at the moment of death.

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