Lecture 13: Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence

Task #4: Identify Formation

• Often seen as the major psychological task of adolescence  

 

• Identity = A well-organized conception of the self-made up of values, beliefs, and goals to which the individual is solidly committed  

• Must integrate the various components of one’s self-understanding into a coherent identity 

• Child’s identity is more individual pieces of the puzzle and now connecting those puzzle pieces  

• Why identity issues are so important now 

• Realizing you are changing & becoming someone else. Who?  

 

• Erikson’s notions about the process and its psychosocial conflicts 

• Erikson saw the process as driven by an identity crisis = a temporary period of confusion + distress experienced while experimenting with alternatives  

• Outcomes: Identity achievement vs. identity role confusion (=failure in identity consolidation; a lack of adult path)  

• Exploration is a more typical and appropriate term  

Nature and Complexity of Identity Work 

It's not a simple, straightforward process. It takes place gradually over time. Involves exploration & questioning 

• Complexity of Identity  

1.  Multiple domains of exploration – Not all equally developed  

2.  Multiple influences – Peers, parents, school activities (factors)  

3.  Identities are hierarchical – Some identities are more important than us than others  

• “Class president, ethnicity, or religion type” 

4. Identities are intersectional – Identities often overlap in meaningful ways – Unique identity created at the intersection  

• “Being a Muslim and also a woman could be diff”  

5. Identity is contextual – Different environments or situations can highlight specific identities  

• Being a woman in a Home Depot or being in a room with a sibling (I am a sister)  

Ethnic Identity

Definition: 

• Defined as an enduring, basic aspect of self that includes a sense of membership in an ethnic group and the attitudes and feelings related to that membership  

• Many consciously confront it for the first time in adolescence 

• Learning about culture through joining clubs  

• Challenges 

• Dealing with discrimination against your group (Bullying, exclusion, + teasing)  

• Negotiating stereotypes of one’s group held by mainstream culture 

• Confronting conflicting values between ethnic and mainstream cultures – May develop a bicultural identity    

• Incorporating both cultures (Asian American)  

• Strengths - Research Findings 

Having a stronger ethnic identity is linked to:  

• Higher self-esteem  

• More satisfying interactions with family  

• Better academic outcomes and school performance  

• Being less affected by discrimination experiences 

• Greater levels of daily happiness and less daily anxiety   

 

Stages of Identity Formation (James Marcia)  

• Identity achievement

• Identity moratorium

• Identity foreclosure

• Identity diffusion

• Other issues and characteristics -

  These are not static states

  Adolescents often shift from one status to another until identity is achieved; College often triggers increased exploration; College often triggers increased exploration

Identity achievement

Completed the struggle; Committed to a set of self-chosen values and goals

Identity moratorium (Delay, holding pattern

Holding pattern; Not yet made commitments; midst of exploration  

• Higher level encourages exploration of majors  

Identity foreclosure

Pursuing goals chosen by others; Commitment without exploration  

• A gifted teen with writing but their parents want them to be a doctor, has not explored anything else  

Identity diffusion

Not committed to particular values and goals; not actively exploring, lack of clear direction

Moral Development: Kohlberg

Focused on reasoning and explanations for moral choices

Based on interviews with 10-1 year old boys, he formulated stages of moral reasoning

Kohlberg’s 3 broad levels of moral reasoning (6 stages)

• Preconventional

• Conventional

• Postconventional

Early adolescence = Preconventional -> Mid-Late Adolescence = Mid-late

Preconventional

Morality is externally controlled and self-centerd – Focus on fear of personal punishment

Conventional

Moral reasoning is guided by laws and social norms

“What do I have to do as a husband”

Postconventional

Moral reasoning is guided by universal ethical principles

“Protecting human life”

Criticisms of Kohlberg’s approach

1. Wide variability in moral reasoning across situations – Not as neat and stepwise as he might assume

2. Age bias? Dilemmas too mature (Heinz Dilemma)

- Simplify the heinz dilemma for younger chn leds to an increase in engagement in ynger chn

3. Possible gender bias? Gilligan:

- Justice perspective (Individual rights, principles of justice) does not fully reflect relationships and concern for others

- Female morality is embedded in human relationships (Ethic of care) based on harmony, need for compassion, + care

- No consistent evidence for sex difference in reasoning level

Task #5: Development of autonomy and individuation

Individuation = Process of becoming an individual, separate emotionally from one’s parents

Changing parent-child dynamics: An increase in parent-child conflict

• Often accompanied by an increase in parent-child conflict  

• Conflict is often most frequency in early adolescence (11-12) and most intense in mid-adolescence 

• Conflicts tend to focus on issues of self-discipline + self-control – Usually involved repeated, petty arguments about cleanliness, leisure time, chores  

• Represents teen’s desire for independence  

Domains of conflict in early adolescence: Method and findings from Alison & Schultz

• Parent-teen conflict – the larger context 

• Continual turmoil is rare  

• Most teens report: 

  Rely on parents for advice  

  Embrace many of parents’ values 

  Feel loved by parents  

• 20% say top concern is not enough time with parents  

• Quality of parent-child relationship is consistent predictor of teen mental health  

• Disagreements are lessened in late adolescence 

 

Research Example: Xia, Coffey, & Fosco (2023)

• How do daily feelings of feeling loved by parents affect teens? 

• 150 adols (59.3% F, 14-16, 83.3% White) and a parent (95% F) 

• Completed daily surveys for 21 days and a 1-year follow-up 

• “How much did you feel LOVED by your [participating caregiver] today? (0.0 to 10.0). [mean=8.64] 

• 2 measures of flourishing 

• RESULTS 

• Higher levels of feeling loved predicted higher flourishing levels a year later 

• Higher instability predicted less positive relations with others & lower environmental mastery  

Facts about Depression in Adolescence

Depression is the most common psychological problem of adolescence – 15-20%

Characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness, irritability, low self-esteem, boredom, inability to experience pleasure

Depression increases sharply between 12-16

Causes? Linked both in biological factors (i.e. heredity and neurotransmitter levels) and to environmental factors (i.e. loss, death, stressful event)  

Depression occurs twice as often in girl than in boys in industrialized nations. Why?

• Biological changes in puberty? It is more than this  

• Coping strategies; Females are more likely to ruminate (Repeated mulling probs over and over)  

• Female gender role that emphasizes passivity and dependence (Lack of voice)?, females tend to be more passive  

• Negative body-image?