Life Span Development and Personality of Princess Diana
Introduction
There are numerous factors which influence an individual`s behaviour and development at large. One`s social, cognitive, personality, and physical development are influenced by factors such as environment, family issues, and heredity. As such, authors have come up with various personality theories which explicitly explains a person`s behaviours. This paper seeks to discuss about the lifespan development and personality of Princess Diana. Princess Diana was born on 1st July 1961 to John Spencer and Shand Frances. Princess Diana`s social support system and family issues greatly influenced her development adjustment and growth. In addition, Princess Diana`s psychological development was influenced by environment and heredity. Further, this paper seeks to discuss the personality theories which apply to Princess Diana and the theoretical approach which explains Princess Diana`s life.
Influences of Environment and Heredity on Princess Diana`s Psychological Development
Psychological development refers to the changes that take place in a person`s life. Psychological development contributes a lot towards one`s personality, moral understanding, cognitive behaviours, emotional development, identity formation, conceptual understanding, and language acquisition among others. Princess Diana was born to John Spencer and Shand Frances. She was the third child among four children in a family with a noble heritage. Diana`s psychological development was affected by certain influences given that she was from a royal, and noble family. Firstly, her emotional development was positively and adversely affected by her parents` divorce while she was eight years old. Before her parents divorced, Diana was leading a normal lifestyle characterized by numerous expectations of a fairy tale life. Diana`s parents` divorce made her stronger as she passed through difficult moments which resulted from the divorce. In addition, her frustrations made her become more involved in charity work. Diana also became more visible in the media. This positively affected her emotional development. On the other hand, Diana`s moral development was enhanced environmentally as she grew up. As she developed into an adult, Diana acquired good morals as she aimed at becoming the Princess of Wales.
Family Issues or Social Support Systems May Have Influenced The Princess Diana`s Developmental Growth And Adjustment
One`s personal developmental adjustment and growth are influenced by social support systems and family issues. Developmental growth and adjustment is examined in all phases on one`s life including childhood, adolescence, and adult development. Childhood refers to the period between initial stages and adolescence. On the other hand, adolescence refers to the period within 12 to 18 years. Adolescence stage is an extremely significant period. This is because it is at this stage that major developments take place. These include developmental changes such as physiological, behavioural, and cognitive developmental changes. It is during adolescence stage that one gains his or her own identity and experiences several changes all the way from puberty to maturity. Princess Diana was not an exception as her growth at large was significantly influenced by her family and social background. Diana was born in a rich family and thus did not experience any financial challenges. As such, as a child, Diana led a happy life due to her rich background. She was described as a reserved and quite child who talked very less to her peers. This was before her parents` divorce which made her become extremely depressed. After Diana`s parents` divorce, Diana and her siblings stayed behind with their father, who became the seventh Earl Spencer after the death of Diana`s grandfather. This saw Diana become Lady Diana Spencer at fourteen years old. In addition, she went to a boarding school. All these occurred during adolescence period. In addition, Diana experienced various challenges during this period as she struggled with her academic work and felt homesick at the same time. Diana also became lonely in the boarding school due to her quiet and reserved nature. Moreover, adult life was not any better for Diana. Diana married Prince Charles at twenty years old. She then became The Princess of Wales and a mother to two, Prince William, and Prince Harry who were born during their engagement period. Diana`s engagement to Prince Charles made her very popular. The media always targeted her and covered each and every move that she made. This made Diana go down into history as the most captured woman by photographers. After marrying Prince Charles, they fell apart. This affected her psychologically as she became depressed and lonely. Princess Diana also contracted bulimia which is an eating disorder. Charles and Diana stayed for fifteen years and divorced in 1996. Princess Diana died shortly after the divorce in an automotive accident.
Personality Theories
Human beings respond differently to similar situations. There are various personality theories which were established by different authors. These include Erikson`s Psychosocial theory, Freud`s Psychosexual theory, Big Five Theory of Personality, Neurotic Needs, Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality, and Jung`s Archetypes. These theories attempt to make people understand the reasons why they differ from each other in opinions and other things. Princess Diana`s lifespan can be applied to humanistic theory and Erikson`s Psychosocial theory. Humanistic personality theory lays much emphasis on one`s growth, responsibility, and phenomenology. Responsibility refers to taking control of what happens to someone whereas growth refers to meeting needs other than primary needs. On the other hand, phenomenology implies understanding oneself better than anyone else. Princess Diana met all the definitions of humanistic theory. This is observed through her extensive involvement in charity work. Diana worked towards making people happy by undertaking noble courses through charitable organizations. Erickson`s theory assumes that one develops throughout his or her life. One`s development is divided into different stages. The stages include childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. One learns from each and every stage in life which consists of conflicts and confusion. Nevertheless, the conflict can be resolved successfully and realize a favourable result. In Diana`s case, the fifth and sixth stages posed numerous conflicts throughout her life. For instance, Diana became very depressed and lonely during her adolescence stage. Further, her marriage to Prince Charles did not succeed and this made her extremely lonely.
Best Theoretical Approach
I believe the best theoretical approach that explains Diana`s achievements and behaviours is the humanistic theory. This is because Princess Diana met all the elements of humanistic approach which include responsibility, growth, and phenomenology. Princess Diana showed a lot of concern and responsibility towards vulnerable people such as HIV/AIDS patients, cancer patients, and orphans. She travelled across the world with an aim of reaching as many vulnerable people as possible.
Conclusion
Princess Diana will be recalled for her numerous achievements. These include restoring a sense of humanity and mission. Diana will also be remembered for her charismatic nature despite her numerous challenges. Princess Diana was an inspiration for numerous individuals.
References
Krohn, K. E. (2006). Princess Diana (Illustrated ed.). Minnesota: Lerner Publishing Group.
Staudinger, U. M., & Lindenberger, U. (2008). Understanding Human Development: Dialogues With Lifespan Psychology (Illustrated ed.). Berlin: Springer.
Sugarman, L. (2007). Life-Span Development: Concepts, Theories and Interventions (Illustrated ed.). London: Taylor & Francis.
