PROGRAMMA AMMISSIONE ALLA CLASSE QUINTA SOCIALE
TECNICO PER I SERIVIZI SOCIO-SANITARI
Mod. 1. Ripasso delle principali strutture grammaticali
Mod. 2. Testi professionali in lingua:

Bowlby – The Theory of Attachment

Erikson – The Theory of Psychosocial Development

Freud – The Stages of Psychosexual Development
Per la prova scritta: comprensione del testo con esercizi vero/falso e domande aperte.
Per il colloquio orale:
 presentazione personale
 parlare di eventi passati
 parlare di un argomento tra gli esempi proposti di seguito:
John Bowlby believed that mental health and behavioural problems could be attributed to early childhood.
Bowlby was very much influenced by Lorenz’s study of imprinting (attachment is innate and has a survival value) and postulated the evolutionary theory of attachment, suggesting that children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments with others (the mother or the mother figure) because they will help them to survive.
Attachment behaviours are instinctive and are activated in case of separation, insecurity and fear. In particular the fear of strangers represents an important innate survival mechanism.
According to Bowlby children have an innate need to attach one main attachment (mother) figure and must receive the continuous care of the mother figure for the first two years of life. In case of deprivation during this period children can suffer long term consequences such as delinquency, reduced intelligence, aggression, depression or affectionless psychopathy. believe: credere; health: salute; behaviour: comportamento; childhood: infanzia; survival: sopravvivenza; fear: paura; according to: secondo; need: bisogno/aver bisogno di; affectionless psychoapthy: psicopatia anaffettiva.
True or False?
Early childhood can influence mental health and adult behaviour.
Attachment is an innate instinct.
It does not have a survival value.
Separation, insecurity and fear can activate attachment behaviours.
The mother figure must take continuous care of the children for the first five years.
Early deprivation of the mother figure can cause aggression and depression.
T
T
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T
F
F
F
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1.
What did John Bowlby believe?
HE BELIEVED THAT MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS COULD
BE ATTRIBUTED TO EARLY CHILDHOOD.

2.
What was he influenced by? And how?
HE WAS INFLUENCED BY LORENZ’S STUDY OF IMPRINTING: ATTACHMENT IS
INNATE AND HAS A SURVIVAL VALUE.
3.
What did he postulate? And what did he suggest?
HE POSTULATED THE EVOLUTIONARY THEORY OF ATTACHMENT AND
SUGGESTED THAT CHILDREN COME INTO THE WORLD BIOLOGICALLY PRE-
PROGRAMMED TO FORM ATTACHMENTS WITH OTHERS (THE MOTHER OR
THE MOTHER FIGURE)
4.
What is the main aspect of attachment behaviours?
THEY ARE INSTINCTIVE.
5.
When are they activated?
THEY ARE ACTIVATED IN CASE OF SEPARATION, INSECURITY AND FEAR.
6.
Which fear is particularly important for survival?
THE FEAR OF STRANGERS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR SURVIVAL.
7.
What do children have according to Bowlby?
THEY HAVE AN INNATE NEED TO ATTACH ONE MAIN ATTACHMENT
(MOTHER) FIGURE.
8.
How long must they receive he continuous care of the mother figure?
THEY MUST RECEIVE THE CONTINUOUS CARE OF THE MOTHER FIGURE FOR
THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF LIFE.
9.
What can happen in case of early deprivation?
THEY CAN SUFFER LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES SUCH AS DELINQUENCY,
REDUCED INTELLIGENCE, AGGRESSION, DEPRESSION OR AFFECTIONLESS
PSYCHOPATHY.
Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is one of the best-known theories of personality in psychology. Like Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed that personality develops in a series of stages. Unlike
Freud’s theory of psychosexual stages, Erikson’s theory describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan.
One of the main elements of Erikson’s psychosocial stage theory is the development of ego identity .
1 Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction. According to Erikson, our ego identity is constantly changing due to new experience and information we acquire in our daily interactions with others. In addition to ego identity, Erikson also believed that a sense of competence also motivates behaviors and actions. Each stage in Erikson’s theory is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life. If the stage is handled well, the person will feel a sense of mastery, which he sometimes referred to as ego strength or ego quality .
2 If the stage is managed poorly, the person will emerge with a sense of inadequacy.
In each stage, Erikson believed people experience a conflict t hat serves as a turning point in development.
In Erikson’s view, these conflicts are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential for personal growth is high, but so is the potential for failure.

1.
What is Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development?
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS (IMPORTANT) THEORIES OF PERSONALITY IN
PSYCHOLOGY.
1.
What did Erikson believe?
ERIKSON BELIEVED THAT PERSONALITY DEVELOPS IN A SERIES OF STAGES.
2.
What does its theory describe?
HIS THEORY DESCRIBES THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCE ACROSS LIFE.
3.
What is ego identity?
EGO IDENTITY IS THE CONSCIOUS SENSE OF SELF THAT WE DEVELOP
THROUGH SOCIAL INTERACTION.
4.
Are new experience and information important for the development of ego identity?
YES, THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
5.
What is very important for the development of ego identity?
NEW EXPERIENCE AND INFORMATION ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF EGO IDENTITY.
6.
What does also motivate behaviours and actions?
A SENSE OF COMPETENCE ALSO MOTIVATES BEHAVIUORS AND ACTIONS.
7.
What do people experience in each stage according to Erikson?
ACCORDING TO ERIKSON IN EACH STAGE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE A CONFLICT (A
NEW CHALLENGE) THAT SERVES AS A TURNING POINT IN DEVELOPMENT.
8.
What can happen then? WHICH CAN BE THE CONSEQUENCES?
IF THE PERSON DEVELOPS THE REQUESTED PSYCHOLOCICAL QUALITY ,
HE/SHE WILL FEEL A SENSE OF MASTERY AND GROWTH; IF THE PERSON FAILS
TO DEVELOP IT, HE OR SHE WILL FEEL A SENSE OF INADEQUANCY AND
FAILURE.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was the father of psychoanalysis. He studied dreams and the unconscious. He concentrated on psychosexual behaviours and postulated a theory of child development divided into 5 stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital.
The oral stage (from birth to one or one and a half years) centres around the mouth and ends with weaning. With the mother’s nursing the child derives pleasure from the act of sucking and feels satisfaction for the consequent nourishment. According to Freud, children who stop nursing early will develop suspicious, untrustworthy or sarcastic attitudes while constantly or overnursed children will develop trusting and gullible personalities.
The anal stage (from one and a half to three years) starts with toilet training and is focused on the anal area and the act of moving bowels. According to Freud children can be proud of their
“creations” for their parents and develop an anal expulsive personality or can try to deprive their parents of their “creations” (stopping their digestive system) and develop an anal retentive personality.
The phallic stage (from three to four/five years) is the most crucial phase in the sexual development of a child: genitals (or lack of them, if the child is female) become very important

and the Oedipus or Electra complexes arise. According to Freud, sexual energy is channelled into love for the mother and envy for the father if the child is a boy (Oedipus complex) or into love for the father and envy for the mother if the child is a girl (Electra complex). In both cases, when the child learns to identify with the father or the mother in terms of corresponding genitals, the complex is resolved.
The latency period (from five/six years to puberty) is not a real psychosexual stage but, rather, a time in which unconscious desires are repressed: the complex of the phallic stage is resolved and sexual energy is expressed in asexual ways (friendships, school and sports).
The genital stage (from puberty to adulthood) is focused on genitals in terms of romantic relationships and, for the first time, of instinct to procreate. According to Freud, unresolved sexual conflicts in previous stages will emerge in the genital phase (homosexuality, for example).
Behaviours: comportamenti; proud: orgoglioso; lack: assenza; arise: sorgere; both: entrambi; rather: piuttosto; adulthood: età adulta.
Freud studied psychosocial behaviours.
Over-nursed children will develop suspicious personalities.
T
T
A child who is proud of his/her “creations” has got an anal expulsive attitude. T
With the Oedipus complex the child loves the mother and envies the father.
The latency period is focused on genitals.
T
T
In the genital stage sexual energy is expressed in friendships, school and sports. T
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F
F
F
F

1.
What did Freud study and what did he concentrate on?
FREUD STUDIED DREAMS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS AND CONCENTRATED ON
PSYCHOSEXUAL BEHAVIOURS.
2.
How many and which stages is his theory of child development divided into?
HIS THEORY OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT IS DIVIDED INTO 5 STAGES:
THE ORAL STAGE (FROM BIRTH TO 1 AND A HALF YEAR), THE ANAL STAGE
(FROM 1 AND A HALF TO 3), THE PHALLIC STAGE (FROM 3 TO 4/5), THE
LATENCY PERIOD (FROM 5/6 TO PUBERTY), THE GENITAL STAGE (FROM
PUBERTY TO ADULTHOOD).
3.
What does the oral stage centre around and when does it end?
THE ORAL STAGE CENTRES AROUND THE MOUTH AND ENDS WITH WEANING.
4.
What are pleasure and satisfaction connected with in this stage?
PLEASURE AND SATISFACTION ARE CONNECTED WITH SUCKING AND
NOURISHMENT.
5.
What kind of attitudes will under-nursed children develop according to Freud?
UNDER-NURSED CHILDREN WILL DEVELOP SUSPICIOUS, UNTRUSTWORTHY
OR SARCASTIC ATTITUDES.
6.
What about over-nursed children?
OVER-NURSED CHILDREN WILL DEVELOP TRUSTING AND GULLIBLE
PERSONALITIES.
7.
When does the anal stage start and what is it focused on?
THE ANAL STAGE STARTS WITH TOILET TRAINING AND IS FOCUSED ON THE
ANAL AREA AND BOWELS.
8.
Why is the phallic stage the most crucial one in the sexual development of a child?
THE PHALLIC STAGE IS THE MOST CRUCIAL ONE BECAUSE GENITALS (OR
LACK OF THEM) BECOME VERY IMPORTANT AND THE INFAMOUS OEDIPUS
OR ELECTRA COMPLEXES ARISE.
9.
What happens with Oedipus or Electra Complex?
WITH OEDIPUS COMPLEX THE BOY LOVES THE MOTHER AND ENVIES THE
FATHER. WITH ELECTRA COMPLEX THE GIRL LOVES THE FATHER AND
ENVIES THE MOTHER.
10.
When is the complex resolved?
THE COMPLEX IS RESOLVED WHEN THE CHILD LEARNS TO IDENTIFY WITH
THE FATHER OR THE MOTHER IN TERMS OF CORRESPONDING GENITALS.
11.
What happens to unconscious desires in the latency period?
IN THE LATENCY PERIOD UNCONSIOUS DESIRES ARE REPRESSED.
12.
How is sexual energy expressed?
SEXUAL ENERGY IS EXPRESSED IN ASEXUAL WAYS (FRIENDSHIP, SCHOOL
AND SPORTS).

13.
What is the genital stage focused on and how?
THE GENITAL STAGE IS FOCUSED ON GENITALS IN TERMS OF ROMANTIC
RELATIONSHIPS AND INSTINCT TO PROCREATE.
14.
What happens in this stage with unresolved previous sexual conflicts according to Freud?
UNRESOLVED PREVIOUS CONFLICTS EMERGE IN THIS STAGE.