Erikson’s Theory: Identity vs. Role Confusion

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In this paper I will be focusing on Erikson’s Theory mainly about identity versus role confusion. Finding one’s identity is not always an easy task. Everyone at some point in his or her life has had, as Erikson puts it, an identity crisis. Everyone experiences different struggles that can have either a positive or negative impact on their identity. On my path to identity, I have reached identity achievement, which means I have explored and made commitments. I will also be focusing on two articles highlighting a fifth possible outcome regarding identity and looking at identity statuses as developmental trajectories. Erikson’s Theory: Identity vs. Role Confusion I have been able to explore many options because my parents have always encouraged and believed in me even when I doubted myself. In high school I was very active in extracurricular activities. I tried different sports and when I realized that playing them was not a strength of mine I tried managing. While I enjoyed managing softball, I wanted to do something more during the other seasons. This is when I decided to join the cheerleading squad, and that turned out to be a strength of mine. I played in the band, sang in the choir, and wrote for the school newspaper. I was not good at all these activities but that is okay because I realized that music was not a skill of mine but I was good at writing. Erikson describes this as a change in self-concept; it is the realization that one has negative and positive qualities that are situation specific but does not affect ones self-esteem. In high school I was also involved with many organizations and I feel like this process is going on again now that I am in college. I have joined a few different organizations and not all of them ha... ... middle of paper ... ...eness, showing weak commitments, relatively high levels of reconsideration, and low levels of psychosocial adjustment. In tern these people are viewed negatively. Searching moratoriums seem to represent an optimistic view; they experience indecisiveness because they actively considering alternatives for their present strong commitments. Therefore, they seem to be on the way to making final choices from a set of alternative, well-defined commitments (Meeus, Schoot, Keijsers & Branje, 2012). References Meeus, W., Schoot, R., Keijsers, L., & Branje, S. (2012). Identity statuses as developmental trajectories: A five-wave longitudinal study in early-to-middle and middle-to-late adolescents. J Youth Adolescence, 41, 1008-1021. doi: 10.1007/s10964-011-9730-y Valde, G. (1996). Identity closure: A fifth identity status. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 157(3), 245-254.

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