GOOD MORNING

CHILD
PSYCHOLOG
Y
SUBBALEKSHMI
23.02.15

CONTENTS

Introduction
Definitions
Theories of personality development

INTRODUCTION

Psychological development is a dynamic process, which begins at birth and

proceeds in an ascending order through a series of sequential stages
manifesting into various characteristic behavior

WHY DOES A DENTIST TREATING CHILDREN NEED

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE NORMAL PSYCHOLOGICAL
DEVELOPMENT AND REACTIONS OF THE CHILD? (GORAN &
KOCH )

Meet the specific needs of the child according to its age and
maturity

Every violation reduces the childs cooperation and will make further
treatment more difficult
Deviations from expected behaviour might be understood

To understand your own reactions and behaviour in the treatment

session

DEFINITIONS
Psychology is the science dealing with the human
nature, function and phenomenon of his soul in the
main.

CHILD PSYCHOLOGY is the study of the mental and

emotional development of children and is part of
developmental psychology, the study of changes in
behavior that occur through the life span.
The science that deals with the mental power or an interaction between
the conscious and subconscious element in a child.

THEORIES OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY

Broadly classified into :

Psychodynamic theories

Psychosexua
l theory by
Sigmund
Freud

Psychosocial
theory by
Erik Erikson

Cognitive
theory by
Jean Piaget

Theories of learning and development of

behaviour

Hierarchy of
needs by
Maslow

Social
learning
theory by
Bandura

Classical
conditioning
by Pavlov

Operant
conditioning
by Skinner

Margaret
Mahlers
theory of
developm
ent

PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY
(PSYCHO SEXUAL THEORY)

Sigmond Freud

AT BIRTH

THANATOS
(Death Instinct)
EROS
(Life Instinct)

COMPONENTS OF PERSONALITY:
ID ( Legislature)
Ego (Executive)
Super Ego
(Judiciary)

Id

At birth the personality is all id.

Function of id : serve the instincts
Babys cry and agitated limb movements attracting
the mother or another adult producing the object
(food) that reduces the hunger.

Pleasure principle seeking immediate gratification

impulsive thinking
PRIMARY PROCESS.
unrealistic

THE EGO
The goal of rational ego is to serve the
REALITY PRINCIPLE finding the realistic ways of gratifying the instincts.
the ego must invest some psychic energy to block the ids rational
impulses.
Ego is both servant and master of id.
Restrains the impulsive id long enough to find realistic methods of
satisfying the needs.

Super ego
Decides whether the egos problem solving strategies are morally
acceptable.
It develops from ego and strives for perfection rather than for pleasure
or reality.
Once emerges dont need an adult to tell them they have been good
or bad.
INTERNAL CENSOR insists that the ego find socially acceptable
outlets for the IDS unacceptable impulses.

 Dynamic balance between 3 mature health

personality.
Inequally distributed among the id, ego, superego
psychological disturbances.
E.g.. Sociopath lies and cheats strong id, normal
ego and weak superego never respect the rights of
others.

STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

The sex instinct is presumably inborn- character changes over time, by

biological maturation.

As the sex instinct matures, its energy or LIBIDO gradually shifts from
one part of the body to another child enters a new stage of
psychosexual development.

ORAL STAGE BIRTH TO 1 YR

Infants spend spitting, chewing, sucking, and biting on objects.

Freud concluded that the sex instincts seeks pleasure through the
mouth.
Feeding rich source of oral gratification.
E.g.. Infant girl- early weaning - oral gratification women
who over dependent on her husband.

FIXATION IN ORAL STAGE

Smoking, drinking, chewing habits of

gums, pens pencils, nail biting
Overeating
Sarcasm
Verbal hostility

ANAL STAGE 1-3YEARS

Sphincter muscles mature ability to withhold or expel

fecal material at will.
Voluntary defecation & demands of toilet training by
parents primary method of gratifying the sex instinct.
Emotional climate lasting imprints on the personality.
E.g.. Children harshly punished for accidents

anxious, inhibited adult

messy and wasteful.

FIXATION IN ANAL STAGE

Anal expulsive personality
Excessive sloppiness
Disorganized
Reckless
Careless
Defiant
Anal Retentive personality
Obsessively cleanly
Orderliness
Intolerance of those who are not clean & orderly
Careful, stingy, withholding, obstinate & passively aggressive.

PHALLIC STAGE 3-4YRS

Matured to the point that the genitals have become an interesting
and sensitive area of the body.
LIBIDO- to this area- derive pleasure by fondling their genitals.
Controversial strong in cestiuous desire for the parent or other
sex.
Phallic stage phallus assumes a critically important role in
psychosexual development of both boys and girls.
Characterized by
OEDIPUS COMPLEX
ELECTRA COMPLEX

OEDIPUS COMPLEX

Young boys have a tendency to be attached to the mother and consider

father as enemy.

Oedipus- king of thebe- slew his father and married his mother.

Little boy adopts his fathers manners, attitudes and interests thinking that
by becoming like his father he can win his mothers sexual love.

ELECTRA COMPLEX

Young girls develop an attraction towards theirs father.

Electra helped her brother slay the lover of their father in order to win
her fathers love

FIXATION
For Boys
Anxiety
Guilty about sex
Fear of castration
Narcissism
Selfish
For Girls
Sense of envy
Inferiority

LATENCY PERIOD- 6-12 YRS.

Sex instincts relatively quite.

Sexual conflicts repressed libido is channeled into socially
acceptable activity school work or vigorous play.

GENITAL STAGE

age beyond 12 yr onwards:

Onset of puberty- maturation of reproductive system, flooding of
the body with sex hormones.
Libido is invested in activities like forming friendship, preparing for
a career, and getting married.

RECAP
ID
SUPER
EGO

EGO

ORAL STAGE

ANAL STAGE

PHALLIC ODEPAL STAGE

LATENTCY

GENITAL

MERITS

Earliest
Comprehensive
From birth to
adulthood

DEMERITS

Based on
adults studies
Obsessed
observations of
a psychologist

THANK YOU