chapter 12: Psychosocial Development in Adolescence

identity

According to Erikson, a coherent conception of the self, made up of goals, values, and beliefs to which a person is solidly committed.

identity versus identity confusion

- Erikson's fifth stage of psychosocial development, in which an adolescent seeks to develop a coherent sense of self, including the role they are to play in society.

- Also called identity versus role confusion.

psychosocial moratorium

A time, usually during adolescence, during which society allows individuals to address psychosocial crises free from the full responsibilities of adult life.

EXAMPLE:

The Situation: A college sophomore shifts from Accountancy to Fine Arts after realizing their true passion, extending their college stay by another two years.

Why it fits: Society treats the college environment as a safe zone where students can try out different identities, make mistakes, and pivot before entering the permanent workforce.

fidelity

Sustained loyalty, faith, or sense of belonging that results from the successful resolution of Erikson's identity versus identity confusion psychosocial stage of development.

crisis

- Marcia's term for period of conscious decision making related to identity formation.

EXAMPLE:

The Situation: A high school senior is torn between taking Civil Engineering (which their parents want to secure the family's future) or Multimedia Arts (their true passion). They spend months researching curricula, talking to seniors, and arguing with their family about their future.

Why it fits: The teenager is actively confronting the tension between parental expectations and personal desires, weighing options to choose their own identity path.

commitment

- Marcia's term for personal investment in

an occupation or system of beliefs.

EXAMPLE:

The Situation: After years of questioning if they were cut out for it, a young Filipina officially enters medical school. Despite the sleepless nights, grueling shifts, and low starting pay, she is deeply dedicated to becoming a community doctor (Doktor para sa Bayan) to serve rural areas.

Why it fits: She has moved past the period of doubt and made a firm, long-term personal investment in her chosen career path.

Identity diffusion

Foreclosure

Moratorium

Identity achievement

(4) young people identity status

identity diffusion

Identity status, described by Marcia, that is characterized by absence of commitment and lack of serious consideration of alternatives.

Crisis / Exploration: NO

Commitment: NO

EXAMPLE: Junjun stays home all day playing mobile games. He hasn't thought about college or a job. His parents don't pressure him and just say, "Bahala ka sa buhay mo" (You're on your own). He feels aimless and lonely.

foreclosure

Identity status, described by Marcia, in which a person who has not spent time considering alternatives (that is, has not been in crisis) is committed to other people's plans for their life.

Crisis / Exploration: NO

Commitment: YES

EXAMPLE: Maria instantly takes up Accountancy because her parents own a local firm. She proudly tells everyone this is her path, but gets highly defensive if someone asks if she actually likes math. She values family obedience above all.

Moratorium

Identity status, described by Marcia, in which a person is currently considering alternatives (in crisis) and seems headed for commitment.

Crisis / Exploration: YES

Commitment: NO

EXAMPLE: Ethan is actively weighing his options. He dropped his engineering course, joined a theater group, and is volunteering at a local NGO to find his purpose. He is energetic and expressive, but deeply anxious about his future.

Identity Achievement

Identity status, described by Marcia, that is characterized by commitment to choices made following a crisis, a period spent in exploring alternatives.

Crisis / Exploration: YES

Commitment: YES

EXAMPLE: After months of intense arguments with family and struggling through career doubts, Clara firmly decides to become a human rights lawyer. She is mature, confident, and highly dedicated to her chosen path.

sexual orientation

Focus of consistent sexual, romantic, and affectionate interest, including heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, or asexual.

LGBTQ+

An acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and/or questioning, and others.

transgender people

Individuals whose gender identity (a social and psychological construct) is different from their sex (a biological construct).

cultural socialization

Parental practices that teach children about their racial/ethnic heritage and promote cultural practices and cultural pride.

sexting

The sharing or sending of sexually explicit or suggestive photos or videos to others.

sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Infections and diseases spread by sexual contact.

adolescent rebellion

Pattern of emotional turmoil, characteristic of a minority of adolescents, that may involve conflict with family, alienation from adult society, reckless behavior, and rejection of adult values.

individuation

Adolescents' struggle for autonomy and

personal identity.

EXAMPLE:

The Situation: A 16-year-old Filipina starts wearing alternative, expressive clothing or gets a small tattoo. When her conservative aunts (titas) comment at a family reunion that her outfit is "masyadong liberated" (too revealing/bold), she politely but firmly defends her style as her personal self-expression.

Why it fits: She is defining her own identity boundaries and personal taste, separate from the traditional modesty standards enforced by her extended family.