Sullivans Interpersonal Model of Personality Development
Uploaded by
April LanuzaSullivans Interpersonal Model of Personality Development
Uploaded by
April LanuzalOMoARcPSD|4304649
Sullivan’s Interpersonal Model of Personality Development
The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles (Our Lady of Fatima
University)
StuDocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university
Downloaded by APRIL GUETA ([email protected])
lOMoARcPSD|4304649
Sullivan’s Interpersonal Model of Personality Development
Sullivan’s Developmental Epochs
Infancy
Age birth to 1 year
From birth to about age one, the child begins the process of developing, but Sullivan did
not emphasize the younger years to near the importance as Freud.
Childhood
Ages 1 to 5
The development of speech and improved communication is key in this stage of
development.
Juvenile
Ages 6 to 8
The main focus as a juvenile is the need for playmates and the beginning of healthy
socialization
Preadolescence
Ages 9 to 12
During this stage, the child’s ability to form a close relationship with a peer is the major
focus. This relationship will later assist the child in feeling worthy and likable. Without
this ability, forming the intimate relationships in late adolescence and adulthood will be
difficult.
Early Adolescence
Ages 13 to 17
The onset of puberty changes this need for friendship to a need for sexual expression.
Self worth will often become synonymous with sexual attractiveness and acceptance by
opposite sex peers.
Downloaded by APRIL GUETA ([email protected])
lOMoARcPSD|4304649
Late Adolescence
Ages 18 to 22 or 23
The need for friendship and need for sexual expression get combined during late
adolescence. In this stage a long term relationship becomes the primary focus.
Conflicts between parental control and self-expression are commonplace and the
overuse of selective inattention in previous stages can result in a skewed perception of
the self and the world.
Adulthood
Ages 23 on
The struggles of adulthood include financial security, career, and family. With success
during previous stages, especially those in the adolescent years, adult relationships and
much needed socialization become more easy to attain. Without a solid background,
interpersonal conflicts that result in anxiety become more commonplace.
