Adolescent Development week 5

Self-understanding

The growing ability in adolescence to reflect on and describe oneself using abstract, multidimensional traits and concepts.

Adolescents also begin to differentiate among various aspects of the self:

• Actual self – who they currently are

• Ideal self – who they want to become

• Feared self – who they worry about becoming

Discrepancies and Emotional Impact of self understanding

As adolescents become more aware of the gap between their actual and ideal selves, this can result in:

• Emotional distress
  → Larger discrepancies are linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms

Can also be motivational:

• Help adolescents set goals

• Inspire personal development

False self

A social persona that differs from one's internal experience, often adopted in peer or romantic contexts to gain approval or fit in.

Contradictory self-conceptions

Recognitions of inconsistencies in behaviour across contexts, prompting questions about one's 'real' self.

Cultural influences on the self

Influence of cultural values on how adolescents construct and express identity, with individualistic cultures promoting independence and collectivist cultures emphasising relational interdependence.

Social comparison

The process by which adolescents evaluate themselves by comparing their traits and abilities to those of their peers.

Festinger’s (1954) social comparison theory,

This tendency becomes particularly prominent in adolescence, due to:

• Advancing cognitive capacities

• The growing importance of peer relationships

Adolescents become highly attuned to how they compare to others in areas such as appearance, popularity, and competence—domains that are closely tied to self-esteem.

Imaginary audience

As a result, many adolescents experience:

• Fluctuating self-esteem

• Increased emotional sensitivity

• Self-doubt and a strong desire to fit in, particularly during early adolescence when peer approval is especially influential 

Self protective strategies

Behaviours used to avoid social rejection or embarrassment, such as emotional distancing and goal suppression.

may: 

• Undermine identity consolidation

• Compromise emotional authenticity over time

Cultural Differences- collectivist

adolescents may be socialised to suppress self-enhancement and prioritise group harmony, which can reduce self-consciousness but may also limit open self-expression

Cultural Differences- individualistic 

where confidence and uniqueness are celebrated, adolescents may engage in more frequent and evaluative self-comparisons, which can lead to both vulnerability and self-promotion

Self-esteem

An individual’s overall sense of self-worth, which becomes more abstract, evaluative, and domain-specific during adolescence.

Barometric self esteem

Frequent fluctuations in adolescents’ self-worth in response to daily experiences and social feedback.

Relational and contextual influences

Support from parents, peers, and teachers is linked to higher self-esteem, while criticism or neglect can contribute to lower self-worth.

Gender differences in self-esteem

Girls often show a sharper decline in early adolescence due to body image concerns and societal pressures.

Cultural influences on self-esteem

Individualistic cultures emphasise high self-esteem and confidence, whereas collectivistic cultures value humility, often leading to more modest self-assessments

Emotional self-awareness

The growing ability to recognise, reflect on, and interpret one's own emotional states, enabled by cognitive development.

while it promotes more sophisticated empathy and moral reasoning, it also contributes to emotional sensitivity and mood volatility, particularly in early adolescence

Emotional differentiation

The capacity to experience and identify mixed or conflicting emotions simultaneously, reflecting increased emotional maturity.

Adolescents also begin to develop meta-emotions—emotions about emotions—such as feeling guilty about feeling happy

Emotion regulation

The use of cognitive and behavioural strategies to manage emotional responses, which develops throughout adolescence.

move from behvioual regulation (avoidance) to Cognitive reappraisal – reinterpreting situations to manage emotional responses

also supports:

• Social relationships

• Academic success

Emotions and Identity Development

Emotions like pride, shame, and self-doubt are commonly tied to how adolescents perceive their success or failure in becoming the person they aspire to be

Cultural and relational influences

Emotional development is shaped by cultural norms and family relationships, which guide how emotions are expressed and managed.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Erikson’s psychosocial stage describing the central task of adolescence—integrating values, goals, and roles into a coherent sense of self.

Exploration is central to this process. Adolescents often experiment with different:

• Roles

• Beliefs and ideologies

• Career interests

• Political, religious, or relational affiliations

Though this can lead to anxiety or confusion, it is a necessary part of identity consolidation

Identity statuses

Marcia’s framework categorising adolescents into identity achievement, moratorium, foreclosure, or diffusion based on levels of exploration and commitment.

Marcia’s Identity Status Model

1. Identity Achievement – commitment following active exploration

2. Moratorium – active exploration without commitment

3. Foreclosure – commitment without exploration (often based on parental or cultural expectations)

4. Identity Diffusion – neither exploration nor commitment, often linked to:

   • Lower self-esteem

   • Greater psychological risk

These statuses are not fixed stages, but rather fluid states that adolescents may move between over time.

Exploration

The active process of trying out different roles, beliefs, and affiliations, essential for identity development and consolidation.

Cultural influences on identity

Variations in identity development across cultures, with individualistic societies emphasising personal expression and collectivistic cultures prioritising social roles.

Identity as a Lifelong Process

constructing a coherent narrative that links:

• Past experiences

• Current realities

• Future aspirations

success= fidelity—the capacity to commit to oneself and others despite contradictions or uncertainty.

Adolescents benefit from supportive environments that allow for:

• Safe exploration

• Experimentation with different roles

• Guidance from family, peers, and school settings