Development of human psyche

Definition of human psyche

 * The place where thoughts and emotions come from

Development of the psyche according to Freud

 * Human personality develops as a composite of early childhood experiences → how these experiences are consciously and unconsciously processed within human developmental stages
 * According to Freud there are 5 Stages of psychosexual development, unresolved conflicts can shape the personality in these stages
 * Oral (0-1,5yo): fixation on all things oral (if not satisfactory met, there is the likelihood of developing negative oral habits or behaviors);
 * Anal (1,5-3yo): developing healthy toilet training habits:
 * Phallic (3—5yo): development of healthy substitutes for the sexual attraction that boys and girls have towards a parent of the opposite gender;
 * Latency (5-12yo): development of healthy dormant sexual feelings for the opposite sex;
 * Genital (12-adulthood): all 4 previous stages are integrated into the mind, allowing for the onset of healthy sexual feelings and behaviorsEgo id.png

Freud´s model of Superego, ID and Ego

 * Superego: conscious level, where society and parental guidance are weighted against the ID
 * ID: impulses and drives (unconscious: food, sex drive)
 * Ego: Judgement and communication between superego and ID

Examples of disorders in early development of psyche

 * Personality disorders:
 * Personality disorders have a genetic component, but as many other mental disorders their origin in multifactorial (i.e. nature vs nurture)
 * e.g. conduct disorder → antisocial personality disorder
 * Dissociative identity disorder: due to abuse in early childhood, in the period where the personality is forming → a protective mechanism that leads to the splitting of the personality
 * Reactive attachment disorder/disinhibited social engagement: disorders arising through neglect of the primary caregivers (i.e. mother/father)

Individual periods of life and important events

 * Infancy
 * Infants develop and their psychological functions increase
 * social smile 2 months of age
 * they develop object permanence (they realize that the world is steady and persists even if they don´t pay attention to it, i.e. they can close their eyes and know that the object will still be there)
 * interaction with objects around them, categorizing them (part of development of the psyche)
 * highly dependent on the relationship with the caregiver (mother)
 * Childhood
 * 2 until 12-13
 * 2 years old speak around 200 words → communication, thought processes
 * 4th year: most children can speak in adult-like sentences
 * Empathy, emotional world, moral compass develops
 * Adolescence
 * 12-20
 * setting up hypotheses, rational evaluations (not taking things for granted)
 * control and direct their sex urges, first relationships
 * lessening of their emotional dependence on their parents → develop a mature set of values and responsible self-direction
 * Adults
 * Midlife crisis: realize they cannot achieve everything and that time is limited
 * Menopause in women
 * in later ages: dependence on younger people

Links

 * https://www.britannica.com/science/psychological-development/Adolescence