Identity ______ refers to an individual who experienced a crisis and made a commitment.

The ____ consists of all of the characteristics of a person.

___-________ is a child’s cognitive representation of the self—the substance and content of the child’s self-conceptions. For example, an 11-year-old boy understands that he is a student, a boy, a football player, a family member, a video game lover, and a rock music fan. A 13-year-old girl understands that she is a middle school student, in the midst of puberty, a girl, a cheerleader, a student council member, and a movie fan.

The adolescent’s emerging ability to construct ideal selves in addition to actual ones can be perplexing and agonizing to the adolescent. In one view, an important aspect of the ideal or imagined self is the _______ ____ —what individuals might become, what they would like to become, and what they are afraid of becoming

Young children are more sophisticated at understanding not only themselves, but others, than used to be thought. The term ______ _______ refers to the processes involved in understanding the world around us, especially how we think and reason about other people.

______ ______ is the social cognitive process involved in assuming the perspective of others and understanding their thoughts and feelings. Executive functioning is at work here.

____-______ to refer to a person’s self-worth or self-image, a global evaluation of the self. For example, a child might perceive that she is not merely a person but a good person

the term ____-_____ to refer to domain-specific evaluations of the self. Children can make self-evaluations in many domains of their lives—academic, athletic, physical appearance, and so on.

In sum, self-_____ refers to global self-evaluations, self-______ to more domain-specific evaluations.

________ is who a person is, representing a synthesis and integration of self-understanding

The search for an identity during adolescence is aided by a ________ _______, which is Erikson’s term for the gap between childhood security and adult autonomy. During this period, society leaves adolescents relatively free of responsibilities and able to try out different identities. Adolescents in effect search their culture’s identity files, experimenting with different roles and personalities.

______ is defined as a period of identity development during which the individual is exploring alternatives.

__________ is personal investment in identity.

______ ______ is the status of individuals who have not yet experienced a crisis or made any commitments. Not only are they undecided about occupational and ideological choices, they are also likely to show little interest in such matters

_____ ______ is the status of individuals who have made a commitment but not experienced a crisis. This occurs most often when parents hand down commitments to their adolescents, usually in an authoritarian way, before adolescents have had a chance to explore different approaches, ideologies, and vocations on their own

_______ ______ is the status of individuals who are in the midst of a crisis but whose commitments are either absent or are only vaguely defined.

_________ _______ is the status of individuals who have undergone a crisis and made a commitmen

_______ consists of two dimensions: self-assertion—the ability to have and communicate a point of view, and separateness—the use of communication patterns to express how one is different from others.

_________ also consists of two dimensions: mutuality, which involves sensitivity to and respect for others’ views, and permeability, which involves openness to others’ vie

______ ______ is an enduring aspect of the self that includes a sense of member-ship in an ethnic group, along with the attitudes and feelings related to that membership

Many adolescents develop a _______ _______. That is, they identify in some ways with their ethnic group and in other ways with the majority culture

In psychology, identity crisis is a stage theory of identity development where it involves resolution of a conflict over the 8 stages of the lifespan.[1][2] The term was coined by German psychologist Erik Erikson.

The stage of psychosocial development in which identity crisis may occur is called the identity cohesion vs. role confusion. During this stage, adolescents are faced with physical growth, sexual maturity, and integrating ideas of themselves and about what others think of them.[3] Adolescents therefore form their self-image and endure the task of resolving the crisis of their basic ego identity. Successful resolution of the crisis depends on one's progress through previous developmental stages, centering on issues such as trust, autonomy, and initiative.[3]

Erikson's own interest in identity began in childhood. Born Ashkenazic Jewish, Erikson felt that he was an outsider. His later studies of cultural life among the Yurok of northern California and the Sioux of South Dakota helped formalize Erikson's ideas about identity development and identity crisis. Erikson described those going through an identity crisis as exhibiting confusion.[2]

Concept[edit]

Adolescents may withdraw from normal life, not taking action or acting as they usually would at work, in their marriage or at school, or be unable to make defining choices about the future. They may even turn to negative activities, such as crime or drugs since from their point of view having a negative identity could be more acceptable than none at all.[2]

On the other side of the spectrum, those who emerge from the adolescent stage of personality development with a strong sense of identity are well equipped to face adulthood with confidence and certainty.

Erikson felt that peers have a strong impact on the development of ego identity during adolescence. He believed that association with negative groups such as cults or fanatics could actually "redistrict" the developing ego during this fragile time. The basic strength that Erikson found should be developed during adolescence is fidelity, which only emerges from a cohesive ego identity. Fidelity is known to encompass sincerity, genuineness and a sense of duty in our relationships with other people.[2]

He described identity as "a subjective sense as well as an observable quality of personal sameness and continuity, paired with some belief in the sameness and continuity of some shared world image. As a quality of unself-conscious living, this can be gloriously obvious in a young person who has found himself as he has found his commonality. In him we see emerge a unique unification of what is irreversibly given—that is, body type and temperament, giftedness and vulnerability, infantile models and acquired ideals—with the open choices provided in available roles, occupational possibilities, values offered, mentors met, friendships made, and first sexual encounters."[4]

Marcian theory[edit]

James Marcia's research on identity statuses of adolescents also applies to Erikson's framework of identity crises in adolescents.

Identity foreclosure is an identity status which Marcia claimed is an identity developed by an individual without much choice. "The foreclosure status is when a commitment is made without exploring alternatives. Often these commitments are based on parental ideas and beliefs that are accepted without question".[citation needed] Identity foreclosure can contribute to identity crises in adolescents when the "security blanket" of their assumed identity is removed. These "foreclosed individuals often go into crisis, not knowing what to do without being able to rely on the norms, rules, and situations to which they have been accustomed."[5] An example of this would be a son of a farmer who learns that his father is selling the farm, and whose identity as an heir to a farm and the lifestyle and identity of a farmer has been shaken by that news.

Identity diffusion is a Marcian identity status that can lead to identity crises in adolescents. Identity diffusion can be described as "the apathetic state that represents the relative lack of both exploration and commitment".[6] Identity diffusion can overlap with diagnoses such as schizophrenia and depression, and can best be described as a lack of identity structure. An example of an identity crisis emerging from this status is an adolescent who becomes reclusive after his identity as a star athlete is destroyed by a serious injury.

Identity moratorium is the status that Marcia theorizes lasts the longest in individuals, is the most volatile, and can be best described as "the active exploration of alternatives".[citation needed] Individuals experiencing identity moratorium can be very open-minded and thoughtful but also in crisis over their identity.[7] An example of this would be a college student who lacks conviction in their future after changing majors multiple times but still cannot seem to find their passion.

Identity achievement is the resolution to many identity crises. Identity achievement occurs when the adolescent has explored and committed to important aspects of their identity."[8]

See also[edit]

• Erikson's stages of psychosocial development
• Existential crisis

References[edit]

1. ^ Kendra Cherry, Identity Crisis - Theory and Research
2. ^ a b c d (Schultz, 216)
3. ^ a b (Schultz, 215–216)
4. ^ (Erikson, 730)
5. ^ Seth J. Scwartz, The Evolution of Eriksonian and Neo-Eriksonian Identity Theory and Research: A review and Integration. "Identity, An International Journal of Theory and Research", 2001 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, p. 13.
6. ^ Ibid.
7. ^ (Schwartz, 12)
8. ^ (Marcia)

Bibliography[edit]

• Schultz, D. & Schultz, S. (2009). Theories of Personality, 9th Ed. New York: Wadsworth Cengage Learning
• Erikson, Erik (Fall 1970). "Autobiographic Notes on the Identity Crisis". Daedalus. 99 (The Making of Modern Science: Biographical Studies): 730–759. JSTOR 20023973.

Further reading[edit]

• Examining Our Sense of Identity and Who We Are
• Teenagers, Identity Crises and Procrastination

What is identity commitment?

What defines identity achievement?

What is identity commitment in psychology?

What defines identity moratorium?