Nannie Doss

Nannie Doss

Introduction

In psychology, one of the best theories of personality regarding the psychosocial development, is that of Erik Ericson. He believed that it takes a series of stages for the personality to develop, and so, his theory explains the effects of social development across the whole life span. We shall analyze the life of Nannie Doss, better known as the Giggling Granny through the psychosocial development theory of his.

Discussion

The development of ego identity is one of the fundamental aspects of the psychosocial stage of Erikson. Ego identity can be explained as the conscious sense of the self that develops in us with the help of social interaction. Erikson believes that there is a constant change in our ego identity because of the new information and experience that we get when we interact daily with others. Not only this, but Erikson also believed that a sense of competence is also a motivator of the actions and behaviors. All the stages in the theory of Erikson are concerned with becoming competent in an area of life. If the stage is managed to be handled well, then there is a sense of mastery for the person, which we call ego quality and ego strength. But if the stage is not handled well, then a sense of inadequacy will take place in the person.

In all of his stages of psychosocial development, Erikson says that the experience of conflict is the turning point in development. According to him, these conflicts are the basis of either failing to develop a psychological quality or developing a psychological quality. At this time, there is a high potential for personal growth, but the potential for failure is equally high as well.

Psychosocial Stage 1: Trust Vs Mistrust

This first stage of the psychosocial development takes place between the birth and the very first year after that. This is the most basic stage of life. Since we know that infants are totally dependant on others to take care of them, trust id developed between them on the basis of the quality and the dependability of the caregiver of the child. If trust id developed between them successfully, the child will feel secure and safe with the environment around him. But if the care givers are not that loving, are emotionally unavailable, inconsistent or rejecting, them then the trust will fail to develop between the infants and the caregivers. And if trust fails to develop in that stage, it will result in the child feeling insecure and he will always fear and believe that the world around him is simply unpredictable and inconsistent.

Psychosocial Stage 2: Autonomy Vs Shame and Doubt

The second stage regarding the theory of psychosocial development by Erikson occurs in the early childhood and the children develop a greater sense of personal control in this stage. Erikson believed that toilet training was a very important part of this process because when a person learns to control the functions of his body, it leads him to feel in control and gives ...