identity notes

The Self

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Self-Conceptions

Culture and the Self

  • Individualistic cultures promote self-reflection.

  • Collectivistic cultures prioritize group needs over the individual.

  • Influential psychologist Erik Erikson's developmental theory:

    • Eight Stages of Man: Individuals continuously develop from cradle to grave.

    • Stages with Age and Developmental Tasks:

    • Identity vs. Role Confusion: Adolescence, 13–21 years

      • Task: Develop a sense of identity and understand role expectations compared to others.

    • Intimacy vs. Isolation: Young Adult, 22–35 years

      • Task: Develop the ability to give and receive love, begin planning for long-term relationships, marriage, and parenting.

    • Generativity vs. Stagnation: Middle Adulthood, 36–65 years

      • Task: Foster younger generations' meaningful lives through care and guidance.

    • Integrity vs. Despair: Older Adulthood, 65+ years

      • Task: Seek meaningfulness and personal gratification from one's life experiences.

Self-Conceptions

Types of Selves in Adolescence

  • Self-conceptions in adolescence are:

    • More abstract, focus on traits:

    • Actual self vs. possible selves.

    • Ideal self.

    • Feared self.

    • More complex and contradictory:

    • False self.

Self-Esteem

Development of Self-Esteem Through Adolescence

  • Self-esteem metrics from preadolescence through adolescence show:

    • Declines during early adolescence;

    • Rises in late adolescence and emerging adulthood.

  • Imaginary audience: Adolescents may feel they are constantly being observed by others.

  • High self-esteem value varies among different cultures and ethnic groups.

Self-Esteem

Graphical Representation

  • Figure 6.1: Illustrates self-esteem rise from adolescence to emerging adulthood

    • X-axis: Age (years) – ranges from 14 to 30 years.

    • Y-axis: Self-esteem levels, showing fluctuations from -0.25 to +0.25.

    • Reference: Orth & Robins (2014).

Self-Esteem

Aspects of Self-Esteem

  • Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: Identifies:

    • Baseline self-esteem.

    • Barometric self-esteem (fluctuating self-esteem).

  • Harter's Eight Domains of Adolescent Self-Image:

    • Scholastic competence.

    • Social acceptance.

    • Athletic competence.

    • Physical appearance.

    • Job competence.

    • Romantic appeal.

    • Behavioral conduct.

    • Close friendship.

Self-Esteem

Influences and Trends

  • Influence of Physical Appearance: Most closely related to global self-esteem, followed by peer social acceptance.

  • Self-Esteem in Emerging Adulthood:

    • Generally on the rise, but:

    • Focus on physical appearance diminishes.

    • Improved parental relationships enhance feelings of acceptance.

    • Greater control over everyday social life.

Self-Esteem

Causes and Effects

  • Factors contributing to self-esteem:

    • Feeling accepted and valued by others.

    • Relationships with parents.

    • Approval from adults outside the family.

    • School success.

The Emotional Self

Emotional Extremes in Adolescence

  • ESM studies reveal that adolescents report more extreme emotions compared to preadolescents and adults.

  • Brain Development:

    • Emotional responses are more instinctive ('heart') during adolescence, transitioning to more rational ('head') responses in adults.

  • Influencing factors:

    • Hormonal changes.

    • Cognitive development.

    • Environmental factors.

The Emotional Self

Gender and Emotions

  • Carol Gilligan's perspective:

    • Boys learn to assert opinions; girls may lose their 'voice,' becoming reticent and insecure.

  • Critics of Gilligan's findings suggest that the differences between boys and girls have been exaggerated.

The Emotional Self

The Self, Alone

  • American adolescents spend approximately one-fourth of their time alone.

    • This time is frequently used for self-reflection and emotion regulation.

  • Excessive isolation can contribute to:

    • Academic difficulties.

    • Psychological issues.

  • Types of Loneliness:

    • Social loneliness.

    • Emotional loneliness.

The Emotional Self

Loneliness in Emerging Adulthood

  • High levels of time spent alone in emerging adulthood are reported.

    • Feelings of loneliness are greater compared to both adolescents and older adults.

  • This period represents a transitional stage between living with family and engaging in long-term companionship, such as marriage.

Identity

Erikson’s Theory of Identity

  • Each life period encompasses a unique developmental issue or crisis:

    • Infancy: Trust vs. Mistrust.

    • Adolescence: Identity vs. Identity Confusion.

    • Identity is influenced by love, work, and ideology.

    • Committing in these areas is essential to avoid identity confusion by adolescence's end.

Identity

Formation of Identity

  • Identity formation builds upon the identifications established in childhood.

  • Key concepts:

    • Psychosocial Moratorium: Time period for exploration of identity.

    • Negative Identity: Developing an identity contrary to societal expectations.

Identity

Research on Identity

  • Identity Status Model: Categorizes adolescents into four identity statuses:

    • Diffusion.

    • Moratorium.

    • Foreclosure.

    • Achievement.

  • Differentiation of identity crisis (Erikson) versus exploration (Marcia et al.).

Identity

Critiques of Identity Theory

  • Narrow and Outdated Critique: The identity status model receives criticism from a postmodern perspective.

  • Gender in Identity:

    • Erikson's theory is perceived as biased towards male development.

    • No observed gender differences in intimacy and identity patterns.

  • Cultural Implications:

    • Erikson's self-conception is noted to be distinctly Western and historically contemporary.

Identity

Ethnic Identity

  • Key aspect: minority group members form beliefs about their ethnicity in relation to majority culture.

  • Jean Phinney's Model: Four Responses to Ethnic Awareness:

    • Assimilation.

    • Marginality.

    • Separation.

    • Biculturalism.

Identity

Identity and Globalization

  • Young individuals globally develop bicultural identities, merging local and global identities.

  • Hybrid Identity:

    • Identity confusion increases among youth in traditional cultures due to globalization influences.