My experience of writing these blogs

The psychodynamic perspective helped me reflect a lot on my childhood. We learnt about the different psychosocial and psychosexual stages in class but through this project we could reflect and recollect our incidents and relate to the theory. Now every time I look back in my past, I have a psychological reason and theory to relate and reason it with. It helps me look at life from a completely different angle.
I was an introvert and now that I write these blogs about my self without hesitation implies that I’m an extrovert. This change in me is remarkable and I know the reason for it and how it took place because I can relate to Adler’s superiority and inferiority complex, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and also to Horney basic evils which are much related to childhood.
Writing these blogs made me recollect memories which I wouldn’t have pondered upon by choice. No one would ever want to recollect their childhood if they spent it as social rejects, or if they had parents who expected a lot from them as children, or even if they had low self- esteem. Writing these blogs helped me not only to recollect all that had been concealed but also to find out causes and affects of those things. I realized through this writings that my parents played a major role in my life without me realizing at that very moment. Now, I understand that if it wasn’t for them or for a few true and loyal friends, I would been under-confident all my life. My need for self- esteem according to Maslow’s theory would have remained more than unsatisfied.
I really loved writing these entries because I did not consider it to be as my big psychology homework, as I wrote each entry slowly taking my time to reflect upon my past and relate it to my present, connecting to the various theories.

Sources cited-

Pictures

http://prawfsblawg.blogs.com/prawfsblawg/images/cartoon_blog_5_1.jpg

Phenomenological perspective and its relation to the significant events in my life

The phenomenological perspective has three basic key concepts phenomenology, existentialism, and humanistic. Historically, the phenomenological can be traced to Wilhelm Wundt who is often considered as the first formal psychological research in the 1870’s. Wundt had people “introspect” that is concentrate on and report on subjective experience. Introspection was seen as lacking in scientific rigour and as not having any particular application, then psychoanalysis which emphasized the unconscious mind came along and become more dominant.
The perspective sees humankind as intrinsically good and self- perfecting. People are seen as growing and evolving naturally towards great beauty and completeness. This is a very optimistic perspective that focuses of people’s perspective.
There are many themes and assumptions underlying perspectives –
We have immense potential,
Once we provide a nurturing inner and outer environment, growth towards our higher selves occurs naturally.
Phenomenology means “subjective the experience of individuals.”

As we view the world from our own perspective and the subjective experience of reality is essential. We all should exercise free will. They regret over past instances and believe that the problems are insurmountable. When people lose sight of free will, they themselves overshadow their potential for growth, maturity and most of all change.

I had a radical personality change in high school and it was during that phase that many significant events took place in my life.
It was eight grade when I won an international award. My parents as usual were encouraging me to improve on my art skills and the teacher who came to teach me gave me an opportunity to send my painting to Delhi for an international competition. It was my decision to participate in it and so I started of with my painting. The first time I sent them a painting they did not reply but the following year I decided that I would make a better painting. My parents expected me to give up but I proved them wrong. I sent a better painting to them and it got selected. I was awarded an international silver medal. It was the first significant event according to me, where I defined myself beyond my parent’s expectations.
One achievement gave me a label of an artist in my school. I was the only person selected to go to a workshop to “NID” the best institute of art in India. I decided to take up the opportunity and go away from home for half a month to learn more. My parents were taken aback because I was being sent to an institution where people die to go to. It was one time when I used my free will and that helped me make other decisions without hesitating, without my parents having a say in it.

I normally do things and get involved in things without letting my parents know and they are least expectant of those things. It was after my final board exams and I had absolutely nothing to do. I read an article in the “Times Of India” for young journalism thing. I thought I should try for it, so I send them my write –up regardless of their reply.
After two weeks I got called for being a young journalist .I had to work with eight other people of my age and design four whole pages of the best paper in India.
I worked for the “Times of India” for a whole month, took interviews of politicians and many social workers. I was in the papers next month as young journalist. Again I used my free will and surprised my parents.

The last time that I took a big decision listening to my free will was to come to KODI. My parents supported me as I had proved my free will to be the best for me. I am still working on something in order to surprise my parents.
Listening to free will and the ability of an individual to do according to your free will depends on their parents especially during childhood. If my parents would have stopped me from doing things that I wanted to do, I would have never realized my potential. One incident when I actually did according to my free will turned out to be beneficiary for me changed my attitude to various things and built my confidence. I changed from a suppressed person to a person with self-belief. Now if I have to make a decision myself I will listen to my free will because I think I have the strength to bear the consequences of my actions. I believe in me as I was never stopped from doing that.

Sources cited-

http://wilderdom.com/personality/L10-0PhenomenologicalPerspectivesPersonality.html
Pictures

http://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/images/agm.gif

A personal reflective journal on Roger’s conditional and unconditional positive regard

Unconditional positive regard is acceptance and caring extended simply because the person is a human being. Religions have traditionally urged individuals to adopt this attitude, but we all recognize how difficult it is to actually adopt .E.g. parents value their children, but if a boy leaves his in a mess, it is very tough to love the child in spite of his unacceptable behaviour. It is possible for people to show unconditional positive regard to people based on the actions that they approve of.
Conditional positive regard is acceptance and caring given to a person only for meeting certain standards of behaviour. E.g. If a child studies regularly then his mother praises him and is happy with him. But if a child breaks an expensive showpiece while playing at home, his mother will scold him.
We find that regard of such sort is given in schools for a good performance or at work. Peer pressure is an example of such forces in operation. In some cases people grow up thinking that it is their self and not their behaviour that is unacceptable. When people show conditional positive regard to an individual constantly, and if that individual does something unacceptable by others, they start scorning. The individual feels that if he does something improper it makes him bad or intolerable.
When too much conditional positive regard is given, it undercuts the person’s sense of self.
In my case, I had often come across times when I was given conditional positive regard in school. During middle school, if I did good job in my work I would be accepted by my other classmates and teachers, but if I did something stupid or silly by mistake I would suddenly this strong sense of rejection and spite. As I was almost a social reject when I was really young I would do everything possible that would help me get friends. Sometimes I would do things that would impress my friends but those things were often ridiculous and stupid. E.g. I would act all crazy in front of friends because they found me funny. My teachers reported about my absurd behaviour to my parents. My parents made me realize true friends are those who accept you for what you are and not some ridiculous acts that would impress them. It took me quite some time to seep that in my mind. Now I have friends who show me unconditional positive regard no matter how I am or what I do. It is a very rare case that arises when they might show conditional positive regard.
My parents balance the way they show their positive regards towards me. If I perform horribly in my exams or do something inappropriate they get really angry but at the same time they overshadow their scolding by saying there always a next time. I know that my parents show me unconditional positive regard (affection) most of time and I respect it.

Sources cited-

Glassman, William, and Marilyn Hadad. Approaches to Psychology. 4thPictures

Pictures

http://cit.dixie.edu/vt/reading/images/pyramid2.jpg

http://www.kingdomofadolescence.com/images/ablekids.gif

A personal reflective journal on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Maslow has set up hierarchic theory of needs which consists of five levels of basic needs. In these five basic levels, a person does not feel the urge for second basic need if his/ her first basic need is not fulfilled.

The hierarchy of basic needs is as follows-
- Physiological needs
These needs are for oxygen, food, water, and a relatively constant body temperature. These needs are the basic needs that a person requires and if deprived of it cannot survive. These physiological needs would come first in order to satisfy a human being at the most primary level.
- Safety Needs
Need of a secure environment is only felt during an emergency or when there is disorganization in the social structure e.g. rioting.
Children are the ones who always show signs of being insecure

- Needs of love , Affection and Belongingness

Maslow states that people normally get over their feelings of loneliness by receiving love and giving love to others and having a sense of belonging.
This includes love from family and friends. If people are deprived of love and affection from family or friends they begin to have the urge for relationships.

- Needs for esteem

If all the first three needs are satisfied then there is need for self esteem and respect from others. This need becomes very dominant after the first three levels of basic needs are satisfied. If this need is not satisfied then the person can feel extremely inferior and have a low self –esteem and also feel worthless

- Needs for self- actualization

A person feels the need to do what he what he was “born to do”. After all the stages are fulfilled then a person feels the need for self- fulfillment and seeking self- growth. It is not always clear to person what he/she needs for self-fulfillment.

As far as I am concerned I think all my physiological needs are satisfied. The need for security is mostly needed during emergencies so I think that the need for security is not entirely fulfilled. There is never full assurance of security but all an individual can do is making as many provisions that can keep him/her secure and that is what I try and do. Need for love and belongingness is what I need all the time and I am lucky enough to get it without me asking for it. As three basic needs are almost fulfilled the need for esteem comes gradually. As love and affection is shown to me by my family and friends, I feel contented by the love and affection shown to me by others.
It is only the need of self- actualization that I have not yet craved for. I think the reason for this is that I have not been contended entirely at the initial stages. At a certain age, when I grow older and feel that my need for esteem has reached beyond expectation, and all my other needs have been fulfilled satisfactorily I will crave for my self- fulfillment.

Sources cited-

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm
http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm

Pictures

http://cit.dixie.edu/vt/reading/images/pyramid2.jpg

A personal reflective journal on Horney’s basic evils

Horney called parental indifference, a lack of warmth and affection in childhood, as a “basic evil”. The key to understanding parental indifference is through a child’s perspective and not through parent’s intentions.
Parents can easily communicate indifference to their children in these ways
- Showing preference for one child over the other
- Blaming a child for what they might not have done
- Making fun of one child’s thinking
- Disturbing a child’s friendship
- Neglecting to fulfill promises
A child’s first reaction to their parents is anger and frustration, which she calls basic hostility. Sometimes this hostility becomes effective and develops in to a habit. This can lead the child to develop an aggressive coping strategy. Sometimes children use basic anxiety which is a matter of fear of helplessness and desertion.
In some cases children solve the problem by withdrawing into themselves, and become introverts by being to themselves all the time in every situation.
In my case I faced two things out of the five basic evils i.e. 1) Showing preference for one child over the other.
I had a play in my fourth grade and the teachers were choosing different children for the play. Everyone got one or the other role in the play but me; because my voice was very soft I would not read lines properly. At that point, I felt that the teachers were showing preference to everyone but me. I felt really horrible and neglected. Moreover I was among those children who would resort to solve the problem by keeping to themselves.
2) Blaming a child for what they might have not done
My first school had teachers who would spank their children for the silliest reasons. As I was a person who would keep to themselves, my other classmates would try and put me down. Many times I was blamed for things that I hadn’t done like make fun of my classmates or for hitting my “apparent” friends. My teachers would never listen to my side of the story and would spank me on the hand with a long stick.
In the end, I had almost no respect left for my teachers.
In my case, I faced indifference from my teachers and not my parents.
Taking both my cases into consideration, we can clearly see that Horney’s basic evils can affect a child with great intensity if these evils are practiced by the parents or teachers with utter ruthlessness.
I had my parents to support me and get me out of such situations, but those who don’t have any kind of support can be victimized by such evils for a lifetime.

Sources cited-

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/horney.html

Pictures-

http://www.mackaycartoons.net/2000/2000-08-16.jpg

http://www.ptypes.com/karen_horney.jpg

A personal reflective journal on Adler’s inferiority/superiority complex and compensation

Adler’s early views were shaped by his interest in organic dysfunctions and the implications of Darwinian Theory. These influences led to a notion of inferiority and subsequent attempts of compensation. According to him inferiority is the notion that all children experience a sense of helplessness because of their size and dependence on others; the feeling can also be intensified by real or imagined physical defects, social rejection and the other factors. In turn, inferiority can lead to attempts at overcoming the perceived weakness (compensation); this process is motivated by the generalized drive which Adler called striving for superiority.

For Adler, the experience of childhood inferiority is the most important influence on the development of personality. Some individuals who are overwhelmed by early feelings of helplessness that they develop a lifelong sense of inferiority, called an inferiority complex. Others attempt to mask their weakness by pretending to feel superior, when inwardly they lack self- esteem, this is called superiority complex. Early experiences like having a major illness, being overly pampered, or being neglected can have a major impact on how the child views their own capacities, and on the child’s social interactions.

I never had a superiority complex but I definitely had an inferiority complex when I was really young (1st grade to 4th grade). I would have a very low self esteem as my cousins and friends were more sociable than I was. They were extremely smart and were good at almost everything. As they were so competent, I would feel let out, because of this I was never the centre of attraction as my other friends. My parents would be very supportive of me and would encourage me to improve my skills and take part in every activity. They helped me build my self- esteem and that is how I began to gain self- confidence. This made it possible for me to interact socially and make new friends and learn a lot of things from them.
Before this I had a major low self- esteem and would undermine my potential, this reflected clearly on my style of life. If I would have never overcome my inferiority complex then I would be living with it right now, hiding myself from everyone.

Sources cited

Glassman, William, and Marilyn Hadad. Approaches to Psychology. 4th
Pictures

Pictures

http://www.terrapsych.com/adlerb2.jpg

A personal reflective journal on Erickson’s psychosocial stages.

TRUST V/S MISTRUST

This stage occurs between the time of birth and one year of age. It is quite similar to what Freud says in his psychosexual stages. Children develop trust depending on the quality of treatment given to them by their caregivers. It is the most important stage in a child’s life and if a child is not given enough attention, or the caregivers are emotionally unavailable, then the children fail to trust the people in the world thinking that they are unpredictable and inconsistent.
In my case I was given full attention by my mother and father. As I was their first child I was bound to be given special attention. But some how I don’t trust people easily unless I know them very well. It is may be because I have learnt to reason and be sensible enough as I grew older.

AUTONOMY vs. SHAME AND DOUBT

A child develops self control over various things like clothing selection and food. If parents help their children and guide them gradually and firmly, praise and accept attempts to be independent, autonomy develops. This helps the children build up self-esteem. If parents are too strict and demanding with the children, then the children will tend to experience extreme doubt and shame. They will grow up to engage in neurotic ways to regain feelings of competency and power. If the children are let loose without any restrictions or limitations then they become impulsive and fail to gain any shame and doubt.
My parents would always encourage me to be independent in doing everything from minor things to making decisions. But they also taught me where I should draw the line in case of many situations. This helped me think ten times before I take a step and also helps me make decisions which prove to be beneficiary for me. My parents encouraged me to be independent and this made be slightly mature for my age but that didn’t do anything wrong to me but helped in many cases.


INITIATIVE V/S GUILT


During preschool years, children begin to socially interact. The children who are capable of social interaction will feel comfortable around people and will be able to lead others. Those who don’t have these skills are left with a lack of initiative.
Parents, who support their children to be initiative, develop purpose and set goals and work toward it. In case the parents punish them for being initiative they develop a sense of guilt. But in case of too much purpose and no guilt, the child develops ruthlessness.
I was a big introvert so social interaction was not my piece of cake. But my parents encouraged me to take part in every activity so that I interact with the others and become a little bold. I became initiative as I grew older and this now helps me find some purpose and set goals and work towards it. It also helps me intermingle with strangers at some point.


INDUSTRY V/S INFERIORTY


According to Erickson a child must tame its imagination and tries to please others. Through social interaction the children begin to have confidence in their skills and develop competence.
If the child is supported then the children develop competence. Too much of competence or too much of inferiority develops either shallowness or makes the child helpless.
In my case, as I my social interaction was not too much, I never developed competence.
My parents would praise me and support me in my work; this helped me have confidence in my skills. The circumstances and my friends forced me to be competent in nature as I grew older.

IDENTITY V/S CONFUSION

During adolescence, teens develop and idea about their strengths, gender roles, sexuality, goals. But they also face an identity crisis and use their friends to reflect back to reflect back on them. Those who resolve this crisis, develop a sense of independence and control. Those who are stuck in this stage and try out various kinds of identities and are not sure about their beliefs will result in being insecure and uncertain about their future.
Initially I took time to figure out my strengths and weaknesses. My parents always encouraged me to be independent and think for myself. In other words they wanted me to learn from my experiences. I never used my friends to figure out my identity. I was also never affected by what the world thought about me and I am still not affected. I have a strong sense about my self and my beliefs. I believe that if my parents weren’t supportive and would insist that I do as they say I don’t think I would be able to figure out my true identity, in other words they did not wish to spoon feed me about everything in my life.

Sources cited

http://www.psychpage.com/learning/library/person/erikson.html
http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/psychosocial_2.htm
http://www.psychpage.com/learning/library/person/erikson.html

Pictures

http://inst.santafe.cc.fl.us/~mwehr/Personality/erikson2.jpg

A personal reflective journal on Freud’s defense mechanisms

DISPLACEMENT

It is the redirection of drive energy towards a substitute object, is one of the most common defence mechanisms and is used typically whenever the direct expression of drives would be too threatening, due to either the disapproval of superego or a realistic threat associated with the original object; in such situations we tend to seek a substitute object. The substitute object is normally a good friend, or family or pet.
There was a time in school when it seemed that all the teachers had something against me .Almost every teacher is school loaded us with homework and at same time got very angry with me for some stupid reason or other. I was really annoyed because I would do all the homework on time and do my best in all the tests, and the teachers shouted at me for absolutely no rhyme or reason.
When I went home I was tired and frustrated and wanted to go to sleep but my mother insisted that I work on my big art project. I knew I would not be allowed to get peace of mind even at home so I just decided to work. When I finished working my younger brother came upto me and asked to play but I refused. He took his toy and tried to spoil my art work. At that very instance I slapped him really hard and started shouting at him.
He said that he did not mean to spoil my art work and started crying. I then realized that I had taken all my frustration out on my little brother. I felt really horrible after that but it did not take more than fifteen minutes for me and my brother to patch up.
This would be called displacement as I redirected anger and frustration from my teachers (one object) to my brother (substitute object).

IDENTIFICATION

Identification is incorporating one’s drive object into one’s ego. It occurs with those individuals who are either admired or feared. For instance, hostages may come to adopt some of the values of their captors. In movies, books or plays, identification with a character can provide a form of release called catharsis- the vicarious release of drive energy. When we are unable to directly express sexual or aggressive impulses, we may adopt the guise of a figure in whom such impulses are acceptable.
I remember the time when I was crazy about a Bollywood actress. I loved to watch her onscreen and would always imitate her. I would watch her movies again and again. I would imitate her dance moves and even say the same dialogues as her. My friends and family did not stop me from doing that nor did they encourage me. As I grew elder I started getting over my craze for her and her dance moves.

RATIONALIZATION

It is one of most interesting defences; it involves offering an acceptable reason for behaviour in place of the true reason (acceptable to the ego, though the approval of the other people may be a concern as well).When we engage in rationalization, we try to justify our actions. Rationalization may be combined with other defences as well, to provide a justification for behaviour. Rationalization may protect self-esteem and self- concept and prevents anxiety. In case of failures people tend to blame it on others or outside forces.
Every time I am lazy to do a particular task, I land piling up a lot of work. Although I am aware of the consequences, I happen to take it easily thinking that I will be able to handle it. Once I faired poorly in my test and I blamed it all on the extensive amount of work that I had.
This can be a good example of rationalization.

REACTION AND FORMATION

Reacting in a way which is opposite to one’s actual impulses; it reduces anxiety by taking up an opposite feeling. It is used to hide the true feelings.
I always try and hide my feelings in front of the people I don’t know. I was not very fond of my teacher because he would always minus marks or reduce my grades for no rhyme or reason and it was not possible for me take out my frustration and anger on him.
I did not want to get detention or be shouted at in return. Instead I would give him smile every time I would see him and try and be very calm around him as if he had done nothing to me. In such a way I would help myself and avoid more grave consequences that I would have to bear.


SUBLIMATION

In Freud’s theory, a defence mechanism in which drives energy is redirected toward a socially desirable creative activity. While sublimation is useful, because it results in a socially useful product, it is also limited as gratification is indirect and cannot fully satisfy demands of the id. The creative activity that which sublimation supports makes it more than simply a response to neurotic activity.
For e.g. I was extremely in love with peacocks at a very young age and because I had never gotten a chance to see peacocks at that point, I would sit and draw pictures of peacocks. I drew so many of them that every time I drew it, I got better at it and eventually I was so good that people would appreciate it and compliment me for those several peacocks that I had drawn.

Sources cited-

Glassman, William, and Marilyn Hadad. Approaches to Psychology. 4th

http://www.savagechickens.com/images/chickendwarf.jpg

Pictures
http://www.savagechickens.com/images/chickendwarf.jpg

FREUD’S PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES

ORAL STAGE

In this stage, an infant’s mouth is the main source of interaction. That is why sucking and the rooting reflexes occur mostly at this stage. The infants depend mostly on the caretakers (who are responsible for feeding them), the infant also develops a sense trust and comfort through this oral stimulation. If fixation occurs at this stage then the child can have problems with dependency and aggression. The child can have problems with eating, drinking and nail biting.
In my case, I don’t think I was orally fixated to a grave extent. Although I would bite my nails till I was like 4 or 5 yrs old, I got rid of that bad habit and it wasn’t very difficult. I would blame oral fixation for my bad habit. By making me constantly aware of the dirt that was going into my stomach because of my nail biting habit, I slowly gave up the habit.

ANAL STAGE

According to Freud, the main focus of the libido is to control bladder and bowel movements. The major conflict at this stage is toilet training-the child has to learn to control his/her bodily needs. Developing this control is very essential.
Toilet training is mostly dependant on how parents train their children. Parents, who praise and reward their children for the use of the toilet on the right time, help their children feel productive and capable. Such an attitude encourages positive outcomes.
On the other hand, some parents ridicule and punish their children for accidents. This encourages negative outcomes.
If the parents are too strict with their children, anal- retentive personality can develop and lead their children to become very rigid and obsessive.
If parents are too lenient with their children then anal –compulsive personality can develop and lead their children to become very messy and unorganized.
In my case my parents would praise me if I would use the toilet at the right time. This encouraged me and I didn’t face serious problems at a later stage. I was kind of toilet trained when I was about 5 – 6 yrs old because my parents would encourage me to use the toilet before going to school so that I wouldn’t have to suffer in school. I was never forced or ridiculed, and this led me into not being too messy or being too rigid with my toilet habits. I can control my bodily needs.

PHALLIC STAGE

During this stage, the primary focus is on the genitals. Children begin to understand the gender differences. Boys begin to view their father as rivals for their mother’s affection. The Oedipus complex describes these feelings of wanting to possess the mother and the desire to replace the father. While the term Electra complex describes similar feelings in case of young girls. According to Freud girls experience penis envy.
He also believed that penis envy was never fully resolved and that all women remain somewhat fixated on this stage.
In my case I have been always close to both my parents but when I was really young I would be closer to my father than my mother. I never really experienced jealousy against my mother for my father’s affection.

LATENT PERIOD

This stage begins at the time when children go to school and get interested in their peers and their hobbies. In other words they become interested in relationships. In this stage a sexual energy is present but it is mostly directed towards social interactions and other goals and pursuits.
This stage really helps a child gain self- confidence to interact with his/her peers and be socially active. It helps a child develop communication skills.
I was quite an introvert till the 4th Grade and had only one good friend. But slowly I got out of my small cocoon and started making more friends. It all began when I stood 1st in my class and my drawing was chosen for the school magazine and because of this I got attention from my classmates. Since then nothing stops me from interacting with my peers and I am more of an extrovert. I feel confident socially and can easily discuss in conferences even with absolute strangers.


GENITAL STAGE

During this stage an individual develops strong interest in the opposite sex.The person begins to care about the welfare of others unlike earlier stages where the main motto was one’s individual needs. This stage helps the individual get a balance between various areas of life.
I remember the time when I would be really interested in knowing everything about the guys in my class. I would talk to all of them and I had more guy friends that girl friends. I still interact with the boys in my class but not obsessed with knowing everything about them, impressing them or even trying to act “cool” in front of them. As far as welfare of others in concerned I always try really hard to keep all my family and friends happy by trying to solve their problems, spending some quality time with them.

sources cited

Wagner, Kendra. .

Pictures

http://pixiestixkidspix.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/urban-babies-wear-plaid.jpg