Development of the Self

Question 1

what is self recognition ?

Answer 1

attitudes, behaviors, and values that a person believes make him or her a unique individual

–one’s understanding of one’s self, like one’s characteristics

Question 2

How does self recognition develop between 6 and 18 months?

Answer 2

–6 months: Baby recognizes that their body and the caregivers body are two separate things

–9 to 12 months: baby discriminates between themselves and other babies

–18 months: baby develops self-awareness

Question 3

What is the rogue test?

Answer 3

-a self recognition test in which a toddler is placed in front of a mirror and researcher places a red mark on their face and test whether the toddler can recognize that the red mark is on them

Question 4

why is self-recognition important?

Answer 4

-representation of self in middle of 2 years

–visual self-recognition related to use of personal pronouns

–emergence of autobiographical memory

Question 5

How do self –concepts provided in early and middle childhood differ from one another and from those provided by adolescents?

Answer 5

–Age 2-6: physical characteristics & specific interests/ activities

–Age 7-11: general interests, social comparisons, interpersonal qualities

–Age 12-19: hidden, abstract psychological qualities, beliefs & attitudes

Question 6

Why is the role of possible selves important?

Answer 6

–provides orientation towards the future

-imagining positive. successful selves has positive impact for well-being and performance

–Positive and negative images of the self in a future state

Question 7

What is identity?

Answer 7

–the fact of being who or what a person is

Question 8

What are Marcia’s 4 identity-status categories?

Answer 8

• achievement:
• moratorium
• foreclosure
• diffusion

Question 9

How does their prevalence change between the ages of 12 and 24?

Answer 9

–young adolescents: state of diffusion or foreclosure

–young adulthood: achievement and moratorium become more common

** during late adolescence and young adulthood, people may alternate between moratorium and achievement statuses

Question 10

Why is the topic of identity important during adolescence?

Answer 10

adolescence is the primary time to face and resolve the issue of identity

Question 11

What is adolescent egocentrism, imaginary audience, personal fable and illusions of invulnerability?

Answer 11

-egocentrism: self absorption while in search for identity

–imaginary audience: feelings of being watched. evaluated by their peers

–personal fable: feelings and experiences are unique and have never been experienced by anyone else

–illusions of invulnerability: bad things happen to others

Question 12

what is self-esteem?

Answer 12

• self concept

- worth associated with the self

Question 13

Can you describe gender differences in self-esteem throughout the life span? How do you explain this finding?

Answer 13

–childhood: both B & G have high self-esteem

–adolescence: self-esteem drops, particularly for G

–adulthood: self-esteem gradually increases

–old age: self-esteem drops sharply

** on average, men have higher self-esteem than women

Question 14

Can you improve self-esteem?

Answer 14

yes

–societal and educational issue

Question 15

Does self-esteem matter? What outcomes does it relate to?

Answer 15

• achievement
• delinquency
• depression

Question 16

What factors contribute to the development of depression?*

Answer 16

–temperament: less able to regulate emotions = more prone

• -stressful life
• -poverty
• -adolescents see themselves in an extremely negative light

–distant, cruel & uninvolved parents

Question 17

Why is the ability to describe others important?*

Answer 17

• shows our abstract and psychological development

- helps us give information about a trait, that can help predict future behavior

Question 18

How does development of perspective taking affect changes in the ability to understand others? * (you do not need to know Selman’s stages in detail, but the big picture)

Answer 18

• young children confuse their own and another’s view

- teens take a third person’s perspective and understand perspective is influenced by context

Question 19

How is understanding of others connected with prejudice?*

Answer 19

understanding others helps reduce prejudice by allowing children to better be able to detect and reject discrimination

Question 20

What is the difference between explicit and implicit racial bias and how do these develop?*

Answer 20

d

Question 21

achievement

Answer 21

Individuals in this status have explored alternatives and have deliberately chosen a specific identity.

Question 22

moratorium

Answer 22

Individuals in this status are still examining different alternatives and have yet to find a satisfactory identity.

Question 23

foreclosure

Answer 23

Individuals in this status have an identity determined largely by adults, rather than from personal exploration of alternatives.

Question 24

diffusion

Answer 24

Individuals in this status are confused or overwhelmed by the task of achieving an identity and are doing little to achieve one.