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Introduction
Sigmund Frued and Erick Erickson are the major theorists in understanding of personality
development. Freud discuses personality development in five stages which include: oral, anal,
phallic, latency, and genital stages. We are also going to look at the personality structure from the
perspective of the psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud which include the id, ego and the
supper ego personality structures. Unconsciousness and consciousness, anxiety, the ego defense
mechanism as well as the Erick Ericksons eight stages of development are also captured in this
term paper.

Personality development is the organized pattern of behavior and attitudes that makes a person
distinctive from the others in the society. The personality development occurs by the ongoing
interaction of temperament, character and the environment (Kabiru and Njenga 2009).
Personality is also the totality of human behavior or character.
Personality development occurs in five different stages according to Sigmund Freud. Sigmund
said that at each stage there is part of the body that has strong pleasure giving qualities. The
theory of psychoanalytic by Sigmund Freud gives an explanation that an adult is determined by
the way they resolve conflicts between these early detectors of pleasure which include the
mouth, the anus and the genitals and other areas of reality. Therefore this tells us that if the
conflict is not solved at this early stages through training, the person will obviously get fixated at
that particular stage; hence affecting his personality development negatively (Freud, 1949).
Oral stage (18 months)
This is the first year of life which starts at birth to the end of the first year. In this stage
the infants needs for food and pleasure is satisfied through sucking. The two activities which
take place in this stage are: oral incorporative behaviors which involve pleasurable stimulation of

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the mouth. Therefore infants who did not develop well in this stage as adult they exhibit
behaviors such as; biting, sarcasm, hostility and aggression (Freud, 1949). Therefore adult that
have excess oral needs may have oral fixation.
Anal stage (18 months- 2years)
This is another stage which involves independence, personal power and autonomy. It is a
stage of toilet training where the parents take the responsibility of letting their little ones to
become independent. The emotional feelings and attitude affects the personality development of
their children. For example people who exhibit cruelty, anger and extreme disorderliness have an
anal aggressive personality. This is because the source of pleasure in this stage involves the anus
or relief functions associated with it. The exercises and control of the anal muscles also help in
reducing tension in the body of a baby and if not it leads to the negative behaviors as mentioned
above.
Phallic stage
Here the pleasure focuses on the genitals for reducing tension, but some children see it as
a playing thing. During this stage the boys fall in love with their mothers (Oedipus complex) and
therefore they identify themselves with the strength of their fathers gender role. While the girl
falls in love with the father (Electra complex) and they block the attraction to the father and
identifies with the mother. These complexes come as a result that both the boys and girls
experience the sexual longings and conflict which they repress. In this stage also the young ones
develop the ability to walk talk and think and also being able to control the body muscles which
develop rapidly.

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Latency period
In this stage the child represses the interest in sexuality and thus develops social and
intellectual skills which are healthy ways of using his energy. Here they start relating with their
peers who also influences the behaviors either positively or negatively. Children who does not
relate well with their fellows may be in school, as adult they have problems in relating with the
members in the society.
Genital stage
This occurs from puberty onwards when the adolescents feel attracted to the opposite sex.
This is a time of sexual awakening and strong relations are now sought in someone with people
outside the family. The new sexual feelings emerge and the adolescent needs to develop
physically, mentally and psychologically. This is the stage they search for self-identity. They
always struggle to be independent but they are dependent. If not well handled in this stage they
might develop poor self-esteem and have negative attitude towards sex.
The structure of personality
Based on the theory of psychoanalytic view, the human personality consists of three
systems: id, ego and the super- ego whereby the id is the biological component, the ego is the
psychological component and the superego is the social component. In all these the human
behavior is determined since the psychic energy is distributed to all (Jones, 1963).
Id
It is the structure of personality which is a biological component that is present at birth.
The id is the pleasure seeking principle, illogical and unconscious. This principle is all about
avoiding or minimizing pain. The id cannot be separated from an individual because is the source
of energy and instinct. The id gains its momentum through the pleasurable principle which is

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only concerned in satisfying the instinctual needs. Therefore Freud viewed this id as confused
and emotional system which knows no judgment of value, no good and evil and finally no
morally (Freud, 1973).
The Ego
This is the psychological component which is the seat of intelligence or rational master of
personality. This ego can be also referred as a reality principle because it determines the
appropriate social accepted behavior. The ego controls and regulates the human personality. It
arbitrates between the instinct and the environment and it also controls the consciousness and
exercises censorship. This structure of personality explains that human beings are obliged to
reality of life rather than running away, but to bear with the situation the way it is, since it is
already in our conscious of what is happening in the world (Freud, 1923).
Super Ego
It is composed of moral code principle and therefore it strives for perfection. The basics
of this moral aspect of personality is usually learnt by the age of 5 to 6 years which consists of
initial rules of conduct designed by the parents and children quickly learn the kind of behaviors
their guardians consider good or bad. This makes student to create awareness on reward and
punishment. Due to this structure of personality student or pupils are being helped to make right
decisions in their lives. The super-ego is also based on the ideal values and beliefs of the society
where one belongs and therefore at this stage one is expected to maintain the social status as well
as maintaining the rules and regulation of a particular society (Freud, 1962).
Unconsciousness and Consciousness
The unconsciousness and level of consciousness aid in understanding the behavior and
problems of personality. Conscious here means the total mind of human person fully present to

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internalize whatever is in place while unconscious is inferred from behavior. The unconscious
plays role of storing up experiences, memories and expressed material needs and motivations
which cannot be accessed easily. Therefore the unconscious influences the behavior of an
individual and even leads one to develop the neurotic symptoms and behavior.
Anxiety
This is the state of tension whereby one is motivated to do something. It comes as a result
of the conflict between the id, ego and the super-ego over the control of the psychic energy.
According to Freud the anxiety plays the role of warning the impending danger. The anxiety is in
three kinds: neurotic, moral and reality. Neurotic anxiety is the fear that instinct will get out of
hand and cause one to do something for which they know there will be punishment. Moral
anxiety is the fear of ones own conscience whereby one feels guilty when he/she does
something that is contrary to their moral code.
The Ego Defense Mechanism
The ego defense mechanism always helps people to cope with anxiety and prevent the
ego being overwhelmed. Therefore the ego defense mechanisms are normal behaviors which
have adaptive values unless they become a style of life to avoid facing reality. The defense
mechanism used depends on ones level of human development and the defense here is meant to
help an individual to deny the reality and it operates at the unconscious level of human person.
For example we have denial, repression, identification and projection.
Erick Erickson view of Development
Psychologist Erick Erickson developed his eight stages to clarify the developmental
challenges faced at various time in peoples lives. His theories differs from other popular theories

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in that a person do not have to successfully complete one stage of development to move on to the
next stage of development.
Eric Erickson presented us with eight stages of development each stage is presented as
two opposing statement representing the challenges a person faces at a particular age if the
person does not overcome the challenges of his or her developmental stages, these challenges are
likely to become ongoing problems (Erickson,1993).
Trust vs. Mistrust
The first stage is basic Trust and Mistrust which occur during the first or second year of
life, the major emphasis is on the mother and fathers nurturing ability and care for a child
especially in terms of visual contact and touch. At this stage, babies either trust that others will
care for their needs including nourishment, warmth, cleanliness and physical contact and
security. If a child do not experience trust, he or she may develop insecurity, worthlessness and
may grow into adult who struggles with trust in romantic relationship (Mikulincer and Goodman,
2006).
Autonomy and Shame and Doubt
According to Kathleen (1987) a child has an opportunity to build self-esteem and
autonomy as he or she learns new skills and right from wrong. This happens between eighteen
months and three years. A child who is well cared for is sure of himself, carrying him or herself
with pride rather than shame. This is a stage when children either become self-sufficient in many
activities including feeding, walking and talking or doubt their own ability, feeling shame
sometimes and low self-esteem during an inability to learn certain skills. A delicate balance is
required from the parent. They must not try to do everything for the child, but if the child fails at

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a particular task they must not criticize the child for failures and accident (particularly when
toilet training) the aim has to be self-control without a loss of self-esteem.
Initiative vs. Guilt
This occurs between three to five years. During this period, children want to copy the
adults around them and take initiative in creative play situations for example children begin to
construct houses using papers, toy phones and miniature cars. Playing mother and father role.
They begin to use that wonderful word for exploring the world- Why? Children at this stage
often want to understand activities that exceed their abilities or the limit sets by their parents.
They jump into swimming pools, put their shirt on backwards. Such initiative may lead to pride
or failure, with failure perhaps leading to guilt. The outcome of the initiative versus guilt crisis
depends on how the parents react and what the society expects for example some culture and
families encourages five year olds to be assertive seeing them as creative spirits whereas others
call them rude (Erickson, 1968).
Industry vs. Inferiority
This occurs between six to twelve years. During this stage, children are capable of
learning, creating and accomplishing numerous new skills and knowledge, thus developing a
sense of industry. This is also a very social stage of development and if children experience
unresolved feelings of inadequacy and inferiority among their peers, it can have serious problem
in terms of competence and self-esteem (Kathleen, 1987).
Identity vs. Role Confusion
This occurs between 12-18years. Development depends on what a person does and what
is done to a person. An adolescent must struggle to discover and find out his or her own identity,
while negotiating and struggling with social interactions and fitting in and developing a sense

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of morality and right from wrong. At this stage they begin to figure out who am I? They
establish sexual, political, and vocational identity or confused about role to play (Bee, 1992).
Intimacy vs. Isolation
This occurs between 18-35 years. At this stage, people tend to seek companionship and
love, or become isolated from others because they fear rejection and disappointment. Some also
begins to settle down and start families. Young adults at this stage seek deep intimacy and
satisfying relationships, but if unsuccessful, isolation may occur. Significant relationship at this
stage is mostly with marital partners and friends (Erickson, 1994).
Generativity vs. Stagnation
This occur between 35-65 years, at this, middle adulthood; career and work are the most
important things along with family. It is a time when people can take on greater responsibilities
and control. Working to establish stability, attempting to produce something that makes a
difference to society characterize this stage. However, major shift can take place during this
stage. For example, children leave the household, change of career; some may struggle to find
purpose. Significant relationships are those within the family, workplace, local Church and other
communities.
Integrity vs. Despair
This happen between 65 to death. This stage according to Erickson involves much
reflection. As older adults, some can look back with a feeling of contentment and fulfillment, that
they have led a meaningful life and have made a valuable contribution to the society. Others may
have a sense of despair reflecting upon their disappointments and failures. They may fear death
as they struggle to find a purpose and meaning to their lives, wondering '' what was the point of
life? Was it worth it?''

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Factors Influencing Personality Development
Physical Factors
Physical factors influence the behavior of people as they grow up. The body structure and
functioning can influence a person either positively or negatively. In response to this different
perception, people can treat others differently due to the physical appearance. For example; thin
people are perceived to be anxious, moody, frail, shy and restrained and whereas the fat people
are said to be gentle, kind, cheerful and relaxed. This kind of perception can make other people
to feel humiliated and hence develop low self-esteem.
Intellectual Factors
Being intelligent helps one to make adjustments and good choices in life. In this case we
consider people who reason well often make good judgments and are able to adjust well to any
life situation. The personality of an individual can be influenced negatively when they found out
that so and so is not intelligent and they end up considering the person to be stupid, ignore the
person and isolating him/her.
Emotional Factors
Children who have been brought up in families where they did not experience love they
lack trust in other people in the society. This kind of situation makes some children to become
attention seekers in the society since they will be unable to make choices on their own a cord.
They cannot develop deep and meaningful relationship because they already have negative
picture of the other members in the society. The emotionally children are likely to be selfcentered, selfish and may lack initiative.. on the other hand those who are over protected they
suffer from dependency syndrome and are poor in making good choices in life, but those who are
emotionally stable tend to be social, friendly and happy (Kabiru, 2009).

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Social Factors
Parents and other family members plays role in influencing the personality of children.
Parents lay foundation upon which the agents of socialization build on. These agents of
socialization handle children in their most formative years of their life. The parents are the first
teachers to the children. This is because they tell what is right and what is wrong and in this way
the children are able to handle challenges they might encounter in their life. They also equip
children with knowledge, skills and attitudes which prepare them to face these challenges of life
both at home and outside the world. The parenting style is also very important because through
the parents efforts children are brought up, morally, physically, intellectually and spiritually.
Peers also play role in the personality development either positively or negatively (Erickson,
1950).
Cultural Factors
The society norms, beliefs skills and customs also contribute a lot to personality
development. In the society children learn through observation, modeling and following
instructions in their everyday life. The influence of culture is seen in the gender socialization
whereby girls are trained to be meek, obedient and quiet, whereas boys are also trained to be
adventurous, tough and aggressive.

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Conclusion
The psychoanalytic theory is such a powerful tool that is used to equip individuals with
knowledge on how people develop their personality. Personality defines an individual in the
environment, and therefore living with people of different personality requires members to
understand each other as being unique so that they can relate well with one another. Therefore
the psychoanalytic theory by Freud helps people understand that what is in the unconscious is
heavily influenced by the emotions and this makes an individual to behave differently from the
others depending on the situation where one is in. lastly is important for individuals to know
themselves because it will help them not to feel embarrassed when things about their personality
are pointed out by the others and hence leads to self-acceptance.
Erickson described eight stages of development, each stage is characterized by a
challenging developmental crisis, he assumed that a crisis occur at each stage, this crisis are of a
psychological nature because they involve the psychological needs of the individual conflicting
with the needs of the society. However, successful completion of each stage results in a healthy
personality and the acquisition of basic virtues which are the characteristic strengths the ego can
use to resolve subsequent crisis. Failure to successfully complete a stage can result in a reduced
Ability to complete further stages and therefore a more unhealthy personality and a sense of self.

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