In the course of the individual’s daily life, he experiences frustrations in trying to satisfy his motives. Through maturation and development, he acquires habits directed toward satisfying his motives. These acquired habits are called adjustment mechanisms.
In the human developmental stages, habits or behavior peculiar to a developmental stage are set. There is a peculiar adjustment mechanism characteristic of the infantile stage, and childhood stage. Taking these developmental stages as cues, a particular behavior manifested by an individual is labeled as mature or immature. A behavior is either labeled “infantile”, “childish”, “immature”, or really “grown-up.”
In infancy, the infant that can not talk, walk, nor negotiate utilizes his reflex response of crying, and emotional excitement, such as the startle response. The infant reacts emotionally and obtains satisfaction of his motives dependent upon his parents. The infant’s characteristic response to uncertainty is anxiety. Thus, adults prone to anxiety in responding to confusing situations are labeled infantilistic in their adjustment mechanism. The infant’s dependency is characterized by submission to parental figures, parasitism to adult figures, and desire to be cared for. In effect, being dependent, being submissive, and craving for caring and succor – these response tendencies are all right in infancy. Habitually employed in the adult stage, these are relatively classified as developmentally immature adjustment mechanisms.
Childish reaction to success is “boasting” and “denial” is the defense for failure to satisfy desires. The emotions of anger, love, fear, and despair are materialized by acts of attack, approach, flight, and surrender. The inadequately socialized child, by nature, takes what he wants. He wants his needs satisfied unconscious of others around him who may also have needs of their own. The desire for praise or attention may generate attention-getting mechanisms. Inadequate socialization engenders a drive for relatively selfish acquisition of objects desired or excessive demand for attention without consideration for the needs of others. Thus, an individual who exhibits greed or selfishness in the utilization of objects or property normally shared equally, or demanding excessive attention to himself without regard for the needs of others is labeled egocentric. The egocentric is usually considered as childish or immature.
The inadequately socialized child whose goal is blocked employs attack as his mechanism of adjustment. Attack is related to aggression, and delinquency. On the other hand, withdrawal mechanisms are utilized when the individual moves away from the source of frustration. Forms of withdrawal are hiding, avoidance, or regression. Regression is retreating or resorting to earlier forms of behavior which are considered less mature.
Tags: Adjustment Mechanism
