Chapter 8 - Identity Flashcards
What is self-concept?
the way one perceives themselves
What is self-esteem?
the way one feels about themselve
What is identity?
the degree to which one feels secure about who they are and where they’re headed in life
What are self-concepts in childhood like?
concrete
dichotomous - “either or” thinking
develop self-conceptions
global characterizations
- ex. “I’m nice, I’m smart, I’m good at basketball”
How do self-conceptions change in adolescence (generally)?
changes in cognitive development allow thinking abstractly and in multiple dimensions
leads to more differentiated self-conceptions
characteristics vary according to situation
allow young people to see themselves as complicated, contradictory, and multifaceted
What are the 3 major changes to self-conceptions in adolescence?
link traits/characteristics to specific situations
- ex. “I’m funny with my close friends but shy in a big group”
differentiate between different people’s perspectives
- ex. “I think I am outgoing but my friends think I am shy”
realize they may present differently to different people
- ex. “My friends see me as really friendly but my family thinks I am moody and rude all the time”
What is the main developmental identity task of adolescence?
construction of a sense of self that includes “multiple selves” in different roles and relationships
creating, defining, differentiating, and consolidating their sense of self
Why do these identity changes occur in adolescence?
cognitive change allows them to see multiple dimensions (contradictions/differences)
social change
- increased autonomy
- need to define self differently with parents and others
different treatment by different people in different situations = different attribute
What are the “3 selves”?
actual self (who I really am)
ideal self (who I would like to be)
feared self (who I do not want to be)
How do the 3 selves help shape self-development?
when actual does not equal ideal = disappointment and depression
worry/fear about the feared self = anxiety
struggle towards the ideal
What is differentiation of identity?
need to integrate the different selves, figure out who is the real me
identify true and false behaviour
What is false-self behaviour?
intentionally presenting a false impression to others
pretend to be something you are not
grade 6 children do not understand this but grade 7 children do
Why do individuals engage in false-self behaviour?
impress others
fit in
meet other’s expectations
appear acceptable/similar to others
When does false-self behaviour occur most often?
in dating relationships
sense of self not established, fluctuates situationally
more susceptible to peer pressure
most insecure in romanic situations
also on social media as its easier to demonstrate false self
What are the implications of ongoing false-self behaviour?
conflict between truth and choice
leads to negative self-evaluations, overall self-esteem, and relational self-esteem
less awareness of true attributes
- extreme form of loss of voice
What is loss of voice?
suppression of one’s own thoughts, opinions, and behaviours by being phoney
keeping your real thoughts, opinions, and behaviours to yourself and only saying what you think others want to hear
What is lack of authenticity?
suppression of real self -> lack of zest for self
manifests as depression, low self-esteem, low energy, and hopelessness
What is baseline self esteem?
overall sense of self in various areas
tends to be fairly consistent over the youth years
What is barometric self esteem?
feelings about specific aspects that fluctuate from day to day, depending on the situation
ex. having a zit, wearing a specific outfit, getting compliments, etc.
What are the 2 key stages of Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development pertaining to adolescents?
adolescence
- identity vs. identity diffusion
young adulthood
- intimacy vs. isolation
What are crises according to Erikson?
natural, normal, inevitable conflict experienced by everyone in a particular life stage
each conflict emerges at a particular stage of life due to social structure and
must be resolved for further development to occur
- resolved through inner psychological and social experiences
Describe the identity vs. identity diffusion crisis.
identity = accepting, discovering, choosing an identity
diffusion = a state of confusion from conflict and doubt over all of the choices
caused by social pressures
go through a series of identity struggles to experiment with roles, personalities, belief systems, values
task of discovering what you can be/possible selves
What is identity moratorium?
the adolescent phase of switching from one self to another, trying on multiple personalities
- necessary to reach full potential
being “caught in the middle”
vague and changing commitments
actively experimenting with various roles and ideologies
are “in crisis” (exploration)
given this by being able to remain in school for a long time, can plan for the future without making irrevocable decisions
individuals free from excessive obligations so can experiment
According to James Marcia, what are the 4 states of identity development?
differ along dimensions of crisis and commitment
no crisis or commitment = identity diffusion
no crisis with commitment = identity foreclosed
crisis no commitment = identity moratorium
crisis and commitment = identity achieved
What is identity diffusion?
not exploring and making no attempt to do so
have not committed but also not in crisis
don’t know don’t care!
incoherent, disjointed, incomplete sense of self
disrupted sense of time, excessive self-consciousness, problems in work, school, and relationships
What is identity foreclosure?
committed but not experienced a crisis/exploration
identity has been imposed on them
ex. people who follow parental footsteps without considering any other options
What is identity achievement?
have explored and have made ideological and vocational commitments
developed clear and stable sense of who they are, where they are headed, and what they believe
major task of adolescence/youth
What makes identity an adolescent issue?
substantial reorganization of the sense of self at a time when they have intellectual capacity to appreciate the significance of the changes
change so dramatically on the outside during puberty, naturally have questions about the changes occurring on the inside
What are the 5 factors in the 5-factor model of personality?
extraversion (outgoing/energetic)
agreeableness (kind/sympathetic)
conscientiousness (responsible/organized)
neuroticism (anxious/tense)
openness to experience (curious/imaginative)
What is stability of a trait?
extent to which an individual’s relative ranking within a group on a particular trait stays more or less the same over time
How does self-esteem change during adolescence?
no dramatic drop but feelings about themselves fluctuate from day to day especially during early adolescence
becomes increasingly more stable towards adulthood
When does one’s self-image fluctuate the most? Why?
between 12-14
re-emergence of egocentrism
realize it is not always clear what they are thinking, become puzzled and uncomfortable thinking about how they are viewed by others
increased importance of peer opinion
What are some of the different components of self-esteem?
academic - may be terrible at math but amazing at history
social - may be totally confident around their friends
some components may contribute more than others - physical self-esteem most important predictor of overall self-esteem
What are some common group differences in self esteem?
girls more prone to self-image issues
black adolescents have higher self-esteem than white adolescents, who have higher self-esteem than Asian/Native/Hispanic adolescents
Why may black adolescents have relatively high self-esteem?
support from black community
strong sense of ethnic community
What some some strong influences on self-esteem?
approval of others, especially parents and peers
succeeding in school
What is negative identity?
selection of an identity that is obviously undesirable in the eyes of significant others and the broader community
represents attempts to forge some sense of self-definition in an environment that has made it difficult to establish an acceptable identity
especially likely when repeated attempts to receive positive recognition from important figures have failed
What are some characteristics of individuals who have experienced identity foreclosure?
most authoritarian and prejudiced
highest need for social approval
lowest autonomy
greatest closeness to parents
What are some characteristics of individuals who have experienced identity diffusion?
highest psychological, behavioural, and interpersonal problems
socially withdrawn, antisocial behaviour, low intimacy
What are some trends in identity development?
coherent identity generally not established before 18
boys tend to lag behind girls in identity development
changes less systematic than originally thought, can move in between identity states
individuals who show signs of identity diffusion or moratorium early on frequently remain in this state
How does ethnic identity relate to other aspects of self?
just as important as establishing other identities
White adolescents have weaker sense of ethnic identity than non-white peers
feelings about own ethnic group become most positive throughout adolescence
strong ethnic identity -> improved mental health, self-esteem, etc.
What is ethnic socialization?
process parents uses to attempt to teach their children about their ethnic/racial identity and about the social experiences they may encounter within the broader society as a result of their ethnic background
What is the immigrant paradox?
on many measures of psychological functioning and mental health, adolescents who have immigrated more recently score higher on measures of adjustment than adolescents whose family has lived there for several generations
Americanization is not a positive thing!
Who experiences heightened effects of discrimination?
minority youth with strong attachment to mainstream culture
minority youth with American born parents
can lead to psychological suffering and subsequent conduct problems
What is the multidimensional model of racial identity?
perspective on ethnic identity that emphasizes 3 phenomena
racial centrality - how important race is in defining one’s identity
- increases during adolescence
private regard - how individuals feel about being a member of their race
- remains stable in adolescence
public regard - how individuals think others feel about their race
- differs among different backgrounds
What is the gender intensification hypothesis?
the idea that pressures to behave in sex appropriate ways intensify during adolescence
contributes to mental health issues
consequences of being gender-atypical are greater for boys than girls
Though adolescent males and females really aren’t that different aside from physically, what are some key differences?
aggression
- males more physical, females more social/verbal
intimacy
- females more verbal, males more shared activities
low self-esteem and depression
- both greater for female
