“Who am I?” “What do I believe in?” “What direction do I want my life to go?” are questions that reflect an important crisis of adolescence personality development. Adolescence is viewed as a stressful time for teenagers. During this period, adolescences may find it hard deal with difficult issues and may experience a considerable amount of conflict, but there are other teenagers who find it to be a positive period of life. Erikson who coined the term ‘identity crisis’ believed that teenagers could either resolve the stage positively and form a stable sense of identity or they could unsuccessfully complete the stage which could lead to confusion about who they are and what their values are. After studying adolescents’ and young adults’ search …show more content…
Erikson explains that a person’s personality grows in an automatic order through eight stages of psychosocial development from childhood to adulthood (Holt et al., 2015). If a stage is successfully completed that results in a healthy personality and the accomplishment of basic qualities which are characteristic strengths which the ego can uses to solve on-going crises (Holt et al., 2015). “Identity versus Role confusion” is the most important stage in the process of forming a strong identity and developing a sense of direction in life (Holt et al., 2015). The stage occurs during adolescence from about 12-18 years, teenagers explore who they are as individuals, and seek to establish a sense of self, and may try out different roles, activities and behaviors (Holt et al., …show more content…
Based on the amount of exploration and commitment, Marcia differentiated four identity statuses. A person going through identity diffusion has not yet made the commitment concerning a specific developmental task and they may or may not have tried out different alternatives in that area. There is confusion about who the adolescence is and what they want. (Meeus, 2011). They have not gone through an identity crisis and they seem unconcerned about identity issues (Holt el al., 2015). In foreclosure the adolescence has not gone through an identity crisis either but they have made a certain amount of commitment towards an identity and set of values without exploring other options first. For example, people who have adopted the values of other people without questioning those values would be in foreclosure (Holt et al., 2015). In moratorium, the adolescence is going through an identity crisis. He/She is actively exploring but has not made any solid commitment. The final stage in
During this stage, Erikson believes that the individual’s successful identity formation relies on social, cognitive and physical maturation (Pittman, Keiley, Kerpelman, & Vaughn, 2011). The individual tries out different roles for who they see in themselves and who they portray to others, eventually committing to their own personal role and occupational choice. Pittman et al. (2011) describe the identity formation as “consisting of decisions, investments, and commitments tied to current and future roles, goals, and relationships.” Additional considerations for identity formation include the context of the culture which is available to the adolescent during this time. After successful resolution of this stage during adolescence, individuals will typically progress into Erikson’s Intimacy versus Isolation stage during young
...f adolescence allow development the identity that will serve as a basis for their adult lives. During Erikson's stage of identity versus role confusion, adolescents' description of self expands to include personality traits and attitudes. The emergence of abstract reasoning abilities allows adolescents to think about the future and experiment with different identities. The development of abstract thought in adolescence also impels the exploration of religious and spiritual beliefs. The development of religious identity begins to come into question with further exploration. Even though the adolescent may eventually adopt beliefs that were similar to their childhood beliefs, the process of exploration is important in achieving a religious identity.
Are you are confused as to where you are going in life? Do you sometimes feel like you just do not know who you are, or who you want to be? Do not worry, this is not uncommon. In fact, according to psychoanalyst Erik Erickson (1902-1994), most young people ages fifteen to twenty years of age feel the same way. Erickson, a psychoanalytic theorist, took the human life cycle and categorized it into eight stages. One such stage would be identity versus role-confusion. During this stage, adolescents begin to truly form who they are in life. They form their present off of the good and bad experiences of their past. Erickson believes that the stages in the life cycle apply to nearly everyone. It does not matter where or what era you are from. Take, for example, a character from Bound Feet & Western Dress by Pang-Mei Natasha Chang. Chang writes a dual memoir of her and her great-aunt’s lives. In her novel, Chang tells the story of her great aunt, Chang Yu-i, growing up in a changing world. Even though Yu-i is born and raised in China during the early 1900s, she still faces the conflicts of trying to find herself.
Erickson’s Psychosocial Theory is comprised of eight developmental stages ranging throughout the lifespan from infancy to adulthood (Boyd, 2015). However, Erikson puts significant emphasis on the adolescent stage, feeling it is a crucial period for developing an individual’s identity (McLeod, 2013). Erikson maintains that the task of adolescence is to resolve this identity crisis (Rageliene, 2016). Erikson’s theory is hierarchical, meaning that later stages are based on the outcomes of earlier stages, therefor it is rather complex (Markstrom, 1998). During each of these stages, an
Biological influences combined with societal and social expectations contribute to how well people learn to adapt to their environments (2013). According to Erikson, there are eight stages of development. Within these states, there are different psychological, emotional and cognitive tasks. In order to adjust, individuals must learn to develop these tasks. During adolescence, Erikson states that each person needs to navigate through the development task of ‘‘Identity vs. Identity confusion ’’ (2013). He defined this task by stating that adolescent children must learn to develop a sense of self and establish independence. Prior to this stage of development, a person’s parents largely influence their identity. In this stage the adolescent children begin to explore and develop their identity outside of their parents’ influence (Hill, Bromell, Tyson, & Flint, 2007). Adolescents are generally more egocentric at this stage and have an increased sense of self-consciousness. They also have a strong desire to conform to peer influence and develop concerns regarding their appearance. They develop concern about their level of competence in relation to their peer group as well. As peer influence increases, during this stage, parental influence decreases (Ashford & LeCroy, 2013; Hill et. al, 2007). Conflict generally increases between parent and child at this stage of development (2007).
This period is marked by physical, social, moral and emotional development (Davies, Hartdegen, Haxell, Le Geyt & Mercier, 2012). It is a time when the adolescent’s sense of self or identity is becoming much more clear and they are beginning to understand their role in society, starting to question the morals of others and contemplating their own moral and ethical beliefs (Davies et al., 2012). During this time Erik Erikson believed that adolescents are faced with the psychosocial stage of identity versus role confusion (Berk, 2008). Adolescents explore their values and role in society, overcoming this conflict to better understand their own identity, however if they do not fully overcome this conflict, Erikson believed that the adolescent would be confused about their values and future adult roles (Berk, 2008). This conflict was clearly demonstrated in my own development during the late teenage years when I experienced both the results of failing to overcome and then overcoming Erikson’s fifth psychosocial stage. At age eighteen I finished secondary school and began my tertiary studies, I had been accepted into the degree I had wanted to study since middle childhood, however I quickly learnt that I was enjoying neither my studies nor my experience of life in halls of residence. I discontinued my studies after only
The teenage years are one of the most significant times of development during a person’s life. Erik Erikson’s fifth stage of psychosocial development is adolescence or more specifically titled identity vs role confusion. During this time in a child’s life, they start to make changes both physically and mentally that transition them into adulthood, and begin to question who they are amongst society. In this stage children begin to become more independent, and start to plan for things to come such as relationships, jobs or careers, families, where they are going to live, and more.
Of the many examples of teachers who impacted students’ identity development Dr. Beverley Daniel-Tatum provides in Identity Development in Adolescence, the example with which I resonated the most was the role Terri’s teacher Mrs. Campbell played in her life. Terri, a young Black woman attending a predominantly White school, experienced rejection from the other Black students at her school, and was described as “not really bring Black” by White students. Coupled with the racial tensions at school, Terri lacked positive Black friends and mentors on the home-front. Fortunately, her teacher, Mrs. Campbell, recognized Terri’s
Adolescence refers to the transition period experienced by children that occur between childhood and adulthood (Shefer, 2011). Identity is first confronted in adolescence between the ages 12 – 19 years old, because of physical and hormonal changes in the body. It is also due to the introduction of formal operations in cognitive development and societal expectation that this contributes to an individual’s identity to be explored and established (McAdams, 2009). The forces within and outside (family, community) the individual that promote identity development usually create a sense of tension. The basic task is, in Erikson’s terms, “fidelity or truthfulness and consistency to one’s core self or faith in one’s ideology” (Fleming, 2004: 9), in a nutshell: "Who am I and where am I
Jean S. Phinney was one of the researchers who studied ethnic identity at a developmental level – in contrast with theories based on social identity and acculturation. Her framework is an extension of ego identity development theories by Erik Erikson and James Marcia. Erikson proposed that there are 8 stages of development, starting from infancy to old age. Each stage is characterized by a “core crisis” that must be resolved to remain mentally and developmentally healthy as the person moves on to the succeeding stages (Palombo, Bendicsen & Koch, 2009). Marcia expanded on Erikson’s stages of development and proposed four different identity statuses that begin in adolescence: Identity Diffusion (not committed to an identity and not exploring),
Summary From our class lectures, discussions, and readings I have learned of many psychologists who have contributed insightful theories on adolescent development. One theorist who stands out in particular to me, produces a very complete perception and encompasses all the stages of psychosocial development; Erik Erikson. Erik Erikson examined the subject of identity, and asked questions such as: Why is identity such a big issue in adolescence? Erikson's theory focused on the psychosocial crises adolescents move through in each period of their growth.
DeCuir-Gunby (2009) states that identity is “a formation process begins at birth, peaks during adolescence, and continues to develop throughout adulthood, thus allowing an individual to fully negotiate multiple identities.” During adolescence, the peak of identity development, it is the most judgemental and children
It is the stage where an adolescent re-examines their identity. To be precise, the individual tries to find out exactly who they are. According to Erikson, there are two identities involved in this stage. They are; the occupational and the sexual (McLeod, 2017). The adolescent may be uncomfortable with their looks or body, but with time they adapt to the bodily changes. The experiences of this stage result in the virtue of fidelity. The meaning of fidelity is one’s ability to commit their self to others by accepting other people despite their ideologies being different (McLeod, 2017). In this stage, the person explores the possibilities and starts to form their own identity basing upon the outcomes from their explorations. However, a failure to determine a sense of identity in a society does lead to role confusion (Kroger & Marcia, 2011). The adolescent has not established what they want to be when they grow up. Specifically, role confusion entails a person, not sure about their place in society or even themselves. While responding to the role confusion, the adolescent starts to experiment with various lifestyles such as education, work, and other activities. Notably, pressuring someone with identity crisis can lead to a rebellion that can lead to he or she forming a negative identity. Additionally, the confusion and
The purpose of this paper is to identify James Marcia’s identity status theory and how it pertains to the author 's life during adolescence and early adulthood. The author will reflect as well as address the four statuses of development. Noting that Marcia’s theory has proven to be an effective and dependable tool in helping to determine the status of the identity development in adolescents.
In Erikson’s Identity vs. Role Confusion stage, I thought, “Who am I?” countless times like many other adolescents. I occupied much of my time trying to construct a firm identity of myself, which I now realized did more harm than good. Letting myself explore different interests would have helped me find my identity than me trying to fake some firm identity.