Identity throughout adolenscence and young adulthood Flashcards
Why logitudinal research?
Pro:
Can investigate Developmental trajectories (group level and subgroups)
Directionality of effect
Implications for prevention and intervention!
Cons:
Time-intesive
Expensive
Burdensome for participants
Erik Erikson
Identity theory
James Marcia
Founding father emperical resaerch identity
Luyckx and colleagues
Process oriented identity model
Difference: Self concept and Self-esteem
Self-concept: Descriptive
Self-esteem: Evaluative
Positive
Negative
Identity
Certain roles that express who you are and provide a sense of uniqueness/continuity
Not a description but a definition
Central in adolescnese and transition in to adulthood
Erik erikson: Lifespan theory
Theory with 8 phases
Universal model but cultural differences
Adolescence: identity synthesis vs. confusion
Erikson: Adolescence: identity synthesis vs. confusion what is Sythetsis and confusion
Synthesis: temporal-spatial continuity
Confusio: subjected to circumstances, adrift, no energy or frame of reference to explore or commit
Erikson: Identity
Context
Psyche
Body
Identity as development-in-context
Macrosystem
Exosystem
Microsystem
Mesosystem
Identity: Dual task
Differentation or individuation: Detaching from parents
Integration or social anchoring: Building a social network; less emphasis on dependance
Mutual reinforcement of crucial importance:
Individuation and integration need to go hand in hand in supportive climate
Erikson: To adress dual taks there is a need for?
Moratorium period
Need for time to experiment with different roles
Social enviorment fuctions as a mirror in this process of trial and error
Problems:
Identity confusion
Labeling: self-fulfilling prophecy
Erik Erikson’s view: (Dis)advantages
+ Emphasis on unique, individual life history
+Inspired much research on psychosocial development
-Little attention to reserach methods
-Many ideas difficult to examine: e.g., Teonpral-spatial continuity
James Marcia
First operationalization of Erikson
Focus on interindividual differences
Erikson: Identity vs. confusion = making of identity commitments
Marcia (from his clinical experience): Two types of commitment, with and without exploration
James Marcia: Two crucial dimensions
Commitment
Exploration
Marcia: Identity status pardigm
Achivement: Commitment and exploration
foreclosure: Commitment and no explorations
Moratorium: No commitment and explorations
Diffusion: No commitment no exploration
James marica: Measurements
Clinical interviews
Direct measures (questionnaires)
Indirect measures: median-split procedure
James Marcia: Median-split procedure
Separate measures for commitment and exploration
Median calculated for both dimensions
Above median = “high”
Below median = “low”
Disadvantage: four groups are imposed!
Achievement
Positive personal functioning: well-being, self-esteem
Little psychopathology, anxiety, drug use
Positive social functioning: extravert and mature intimate relationships
Critical, open attitude towards norms and rules
Internal locus of control, autonomy, self-determination
Good balance between assimilation and accomodation
Foreclosure
Positive personal functioning: well-being, self-esteem
Little psychopathology, anxiety, drug use
Less positive social functioning: Formal relationships with an emphasis on superficial features
Rigid and closed attitude towards norms and rules: “the law is the law”
Narrow-minded and obedient
Especially assimilation of discrepant information
Moratorium
Less well-being and lower self-esteem
Experience anxiety and drug use
More of a temporary nature?
Relatively positive social functioning: capable of mutual intimate relationships
Ambiguous with respect to own parents
Critical, open attitude towards norms and rules
Analytical, autonomous, self-determined
Diffusion
Decreased personal and social functioning: low self-esteem, anxiety, drug use
Tendency for delinquency: boredom or experimentation?
Difficulty with intimate relationships
Superficial and little involvement
Lack of goal striving and efficiency
Egocentric attitude: own gain, hedonism
Low on conscientiousness, impulsive
Fundamental developmental hypothesis
Progressive status changes throughout adolescence
Strict interpretation: Follows a fixed pattern
Diffusion → Foreclosure → Moratorium → Achievement
Identity development: Strict intepretation 2 charteristics
hierarchical-linear character: strict succession + no status skipped
Unidirectionality: only one direction; achievement = normative endpoint
Need for a nuanced interpretation:
Identity development
No strict linear succession of statuses
On average progressive changes
But: Individual variability with regression and stability
Achievement not normative endpoint
Also developmental trajectories with regression and progression (e.g., Moratorium-Achievement or MAMA-cycles): Identity as a continuous proces with re-evaluations
James Marcia: Criticisms
Too much emphasis on one’s achieved identity Identity formation shoud be seen as a process
Too little attention for social context
BUT:
Marcia has never stated that statuses fully capture eriksons theory
