5.3.2: Developing Identity
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Developing Identity
Erik Erikson coined the term “identity crisis”(identity vs. confusion). According to Erikson, gaining an identity by answering the questions “Who am I?” and “Where Am I Going?” is the most important challenge of adolescence.
Marcia’s Identity Statuses: James Marcia theorized that a sense of commitment to life goals and values and a sense of crisis (actively questioning and exploring options) are essential to developing an identity. These statuses not stages per se, but phases/orientations that adolescents may experience as maturity develops”
Identity Diffusion
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“Rudderless apathy”;
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Avoiding setting a life course
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Evading identity
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Social and psychological problems
Identity Foreclosure
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Premature commitment to identity (parents’ choice?)
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Another way to avoid the struggle for identity
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Associated with attachment-related anxieties, conformity, and unwilling to have new experiences
Identity Moratorium
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Delaying commitment to experiment
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If extended associated with self-doubt and confusion
Identity Achievement
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Arriving at a sense of self
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Choosing a direction after consideration of alternatives
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Commitments strong, but not set in stone
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Associated with higher self-esteem, security, achievement, motivation, intimacy, conscientiousness