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Lifespan Development and Personality

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Life Span Development and Personality
PSY/300

Life Span Development and Personality

Princess Diana was one of the most influential people of the 21st century. Diana had a peculiar way of flirting with the media that became a unique trademark and she won the hearts of many through her warm and caring actions. Diana brought attention to worldwide causes such as the AIDS epidemic and elimination of landmines in Angola (Rosenberg, 2011). Princess Diana became a role model for many that suffered depression because she herself was a victim to this ailment but the public only saw her positive outlook and caring charismatic way that made her famous. Diana’s depression stemmed from the jealousy her husband portrayed because of the extra media attention Diana received. The media became fascinated by her and that lead her to become the most photographed person of that time. Diana used her positive influence to seek refuge in humanitarian work such raising awareness for AIDS and finding a solution to the landmines that were affecting children in Angola. According to Rosenberg (2011), “In 1987, Diana became the first famous person to be photographed touching someone with AIDS; she made a huge impact in dissolving the myth that AIDS could be contracted merely by touch.” The world was shocked in 1997 when at the age of 36, Diana died in a horrific car accident in Paris. In the following paper I will analyze Princess Diana’s psychological development and discuss issues and support systems that may have influenced her life.
Psychological Developments Princess Diana’s psychological development was definitely influenced more by her environment than by heredity. Rosenberg, (2011) states that, “as a child, Diana grew up in a very privileged family that had a long history of close ties with the royal family.” As the wife of Prince Charles, her title as Princess enabled her to use her fame to bring worldwide attention to social ailments such as AIDS, depression and bulimia. Diana grew up as a privileged child and was not a stranger to the public scrutiny; however having been brought up this way Diana did not know how to express herself or even experience independence. Entering adulthood posed to be difficult time for Diana, she suffered from depression due to losing her paternal grandfather who was the most influential in her life. Diana also lacked the stable emotional foundation when it came to personal relationships such as in her marriage to Prince Charles. The experience in her marriage seemed to have made her public image stronger and noticeable in the eyes of the media. This type of environmental factor paved the way for her psychological development as a public figure.
Issues and Social Support System Princess Diana faced many issues as a child, one may think being brought up in a privileged environment would be easy but for Diana it posed to lead a life of loneliness and depression. Diana was educated in top schools where only children of rich and famous would attend. She attended school at West Heath in Kent and then spent a short time at a finishing school in Switzerland (Rosenberg, 2011). During her adolescence years when development of cognitive and behavioral changes occurs, Diana only knew the solitude in depression. During her tenure in school, Diana’s parents divorced in 1969 and custody was granted to her father. The aftermath of the divorce left an everlasting emotional scar on the princess (Rosenberg, 2011). Princess Diana finished her education in Switzerland and she found herself renting an apartment with two close friends and took a position at a school and worked as a Kindergarten school teacher. The Rosenberg, (2011) website stated, “it was about this time that Prince Charles, in his early 30’s, was under increasing pressure from the palace to choose a wife. Diana’s vibrancy, cheerfulness, and good family background caught the attention of Prince Charles and the two began dating in the mid 1980’s.” Prince Charles and Lady Diana were wed on June 21, 1982 in London, England. Princess Diana later gave birth to her first child and a few years later to her second child. The attention from the public grew and Diana quickly gained the love and trust of the media, but the stresses of Diana’s numerous new roles (including wife, mother, and princess) were overwhelming. These pressures plus the extreme media coverage and post-natal depression, left Diana lonely and depressed (Rosenberg, 2011). All these issues and events in Princess Diana’s life all played a role in her developmental growth and adjustment.
Theories of Personality The two theories of personality that help to explain Diana’s unique patterns and traits are the humanistic theory and the psychodynamic theory. The humanistic theory helped to shape the patterns in her life by interactions between Diana and her environment. This theory’s main concept is that people have the free will to determine how they choose to behave. Abraham Maslow said that people who fall under this category of humanistic theory are “those who are fulfilling themselves and doing the best they are capable of doing” (Snygg & Combs, 1949). The three key ideas of the humanistic theory are: enjoying life and wanting to experience life, being concerned with problems in their world, the ability to change what problems they can accept and the ones they cannot control. These key ideas do relate to the development of Princess Diana. The second theory of personality that applies to Diana is the psychodynamic theory. The psychodynamic theory emphasizes more on the unconsciousness level. Diana’s personality patterns and traits have been shaped by conscious and unconscious events and influences.
Theoretical Approach The theoretical approach that best explains Princess Diana’s behaviors and achievements is the humanistic theory. This theory best describes Diana’s life because of the need for personal growth and the desire to help others. Princess Diana’s environmental factors that contributed to her overall growth allowed her to give back to society in a non-selfish way by using her influence and power to better the world. This theory explains that individual experiences help people to develop into the people that they are. Princess Diana’s experience gave her the will to help others change their lives for the better.
Conclusion
Princess Diana was the most influential person of our time. Diana demonstrated to the world that one can overcome adversity and leave a momentous and meaningful legacy. Known as the “people’s princess,” Diana showed compassion and love to the forgotten members of society and brought awareness to different issues plaguing our world such as AIDS. Although her high profiled life ended tragically, she will always be remembered as an inspiration and one of the most compassionate leaders of our century.

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