PSYCHOSOCIAL PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN ADOLESCENT, YOUTH AND ADULT AGE

Abstract

The article presents the results of the comparison of the variability of the psychosocial development of the personality in the adolescent, youth and adult age. At the first stage of the empirical study, the types of development in adolescence and youth age. Personality (motivation, value orientations, focus, communicative features), subject (autonomy, self-regulation, locus of control), as well as social and behavioural (distinctive features of social functioning) characteristics were used as typing criteria. The types of the psychosocial development of adolescents and youths are interpreted as constructive, non-constructive and destructive models of coming of age. At the second stage of the study the theoretical generalization of the types of personality existing in psychology and strategies of personality functioning during the period of adult age. The analysis is based on the theories of A. Adler, K. Horney, D. Marsh, E. Desci and R. Rayen, E. Fromm et al. The types of the psychosocial development of adolescents and youths was compared with variants (types, patterns) of the development in adulthood. The dynamics and continuity of the types of the psychosocial development and strategies for functioning adolescents, youths and adults were determined. It was revealed that the main features of continuity can be found along the lines of constructive or non-constructive development, focus on oneself or other people, self-sufficiency or dependence on the milieu and circumstances. The process of typing of the psychosocial development is the result of the integration of traits of the personality and the way it functions (behaves), which is inherent to it. The factors of that process were identified: regulation by the personality of his/her behavior and activities and his/her position in the system of relationships. The type of the psychosocial development is a complex structural and functional unity. The crystallization of that type from the adolescent age to adulthood is a targeted and logical process associated with the emergence of the self-concept, the ability to self-determination and self-regulation mechanisms in the adolescent age. The article emphasizes the importance of prevention and correction of the preconditions of non-constructive development models.

Keywords

• type of the psychosocial development
• adolescent age
• young age
• adult age
• personality
• continuity of development
• locus of control
• focus on oneself (on people)
• (non) constructive (destructive) development