Identity Development and Mental Health

These flashcards cover key concepts related to identity development and mental health, based on Erikson's theories and subsequent perspectives, including the criteria for abnormality.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

A psychosocial stage in Erik Erikson's theory, occurring between ages 12-18, characterized by questions of self-identity and direction.

Identity Achievement

A successful resolution of the identity crisis, resulting in a coherent sense of self, including sexual identity, vocational direction, and ideological worldview.

Identity Diffusion

A state where individuals have not yet explored or committed to any identity, often feeling lost or uncertain about their future.

Identity Foreclosure

A status where individuals have not gone through an identity crisis and have accepted their family’s prescriptions, committing to occupational and ideological positions.

Identity Moratorium

A status in the process of an identity crisis, with unresolved conflicts between parental expectations and personal interests.

Cultural Norms

Standards or accepted behaviors within a culture that define what is considered normal or abnormal.

Statistical Norms

Criteria based on how frequently or infrequently behaviors occur within a population, with deviations indicating abnormality.

Maladaptive Behavior

Behaviors, thoughts, or emotions that adversely affect individual well-being and functioning.

Personal Distress

Subjective feelings of anxiety, depression, or distress experienced by an individual, which may not be apparent to outside observers.

Biological Perspective

A view that attributes mental health problems to brain disorders, genetic irregularities, and neurochemical dysfunction.

Psychoanalytic Perspective

A psychological approach emphasizing conflicts between unconscious desires and repressed emotions as causes of mental health problems.

Behavioral Perspective

A psychological approach that sees maladaptive behaviors as learned responses that can be unlearned through deconditioning.

Cognitive Perspective

A view that considers how maladaptive cognitive processes influence mental health and can be changed by altering biased thoughts.

Cultural or Sociological Perspectives

The view that mental health is influenced by broader social structures and conditions, not just individual factors.