Sample Research Paper

A lot of theories suggest that personality development starts young adulthood. It was Jung that first theorist who linked personality development with adulthood. Erikson’s psychosocial theory is a further development on Freud’s psychosexual theory.

Erikson links the personality development of a person with social interactions during the 8 stages that he used to describe the developmental process. It is based on the epigenetic principle, meaning that our personalities develop in stages which are predetermined (Theories of personality, 2008). Each stage occurs during a specific time during a person’s life. Actions in each stage affect the development of personality and progression into the next stage. Stages, their time period in a person’s life and the psychosocial learning processes that are to occur include:

“Stage 1>> infant>> trust vs. mistrust.

Stage 2>> toddler>> autonomy vs. shame & doubt

Stage 3>> preschooler>> initiative vs. guilt

Stage 4>> school age child>> industry vs. inferiority

Stage 5>> adolescence>> ego identity vs. role confusion

Stage 6>> young adult>> intimacy vs. isolation

Stage 7>> middle adult>> generativity vs. self-absorption

Stage 8>> beyond old age>> integrity vs. despair”

Boeree, CG (2006).

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