Identity Development

By Emily Olis

Adolescent Identity Development

Identity development:
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Two leading theorists on adolescent identity development:

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Generally occurs during adolescent years

Is the development of a distinct personality, often coupled with distinct decisions
made concerning occupation and ideology
Erik Erikson and Identity vs. Role Confusion
James Marcia and the Four Identity Statuses

Identity development and self-esteem are intrinsically connected

Teachers play a role in assisting in adolescent identity development

Erik Eriksons Stages of Development

Erik Erikson, a psychoanalyst who expanded on the work of Sigmund Freud,

developed the eight psychosocial stages of development that one
undergoes throughout the course of a lifetime
Each stage includes a crisis which must be resolved
Failure to successfully complete a stage can result in a reduced ability to
complete further stages and therefore a more unhealthy personality and
sense of self1

Mcleod, 2008

Erik Eriksons Stages of Development

The stages are:

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Stage
Stage
Stage
Stage
Stage
Stage
Stage
Stage

Slavin, 2015

I: Trust vs. Mistrust (Birth to 18 months)

II: Autonomy vs. Doubt (18 months to 3 years)
III: Initiative vs. Guilt (3 to 6 years)
IV: Industry vs. Inferiority (6 to 12 years)
V: Identity vs. Role Confusion (12 to 18 years)
VI: Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young Adulthood)
VII: Generativity vs. Self-Absorption (Middle Adulthood)
VIII: Integrity vs. Despair (Late Adulthood) 2

Erik Eriksons Stages of Development

Stage V: Identity vs. Role Confusion (12 to 18 years)

According to Erikson, adolescents experience the fifth stage of

development: Identity vs. Role Confusion
This stage deals with questions such as, Who am I? and What do I want
to do with my life?
This is an experimental stage in which adolescents try on many selves by
exploring different ideologies, roles and interests in an attempt to discover
their true selves
Success: a strong sense of identity and firmness in ideologies in the face of
hardship or conflict
Failure: when no conscious effort is made, or there is pressure to conform
to their parents viewpoint, adolescents may develop a weak sense of self
and experience role confusion. They will be unsure of their identity and
confused about the future3

Boundless, 2016

James Marcias Four Identity Statuses

Psychologist James Marcia expanded upon the work of Erik Erikson in the
area of adolescent identity development
Based on many interviews with adolescents concerning beliefs, preferences
and similar topics, James Marcia identified four identity statuses, or
degrees to which a person has achieved a set identity
These stages are based primarily on occupation, or ones role in society,
and ideology, or ones beliefs, values and convictions
The four stages are:

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Identity diffusion
Foreclosure
Moratorium
Identity achievement4

Study.com, 2016

James Marcias Four Identity Statuses

Identity diffusion
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This status is represented by a low level of exploration in these areas and is

often marked by a lack of established life goals
When adolescents have neither explored nor committed to any particular
identity
They have not found any occupational or ideological direction
If adolescents in this status experienced an identity crisis, they were unable to
resolve it

Foreclosure
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This status is represented by a low level of exploration but a high level of

commitment
When adolescents do not experience identity crisis
Commitments are based on the beliefs of their parents, family or other authority
figure rather than their own
A pseudo-identity results from accepting an identity given to them instead of
establishing their own5

Oswalt, 2010

James Marcias Four Identity Statuses

Moratorium
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This status is represented by high levels of exploration but low levels of

commitment
When adolescents begin to experiment with occupational and ideological
choices, but have not yet made definitive commitments
They are in the midst of an identity crisis which has prompted them to examine
life choices
No conclusive decisions concerning ideology and occupation are made

Identity achievement
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This status is represented by a high degree of both exploration and commitment

A state of identity in which adolescents have made definitive decisions about
occupation and ideology
Adolescents have autonomously experimented and examined various sets of
beliefs, values, and life goals, and established a strong commitment to a
particular set5

Oswalt, 2010

Identity Development and Self-Esteem

Identity development and self-esteem are intrinsically connected

Self-esteem refers to how we evaluate our skills and abilities 6
If identity development deals with the question Who am I?, then ones
view of oneself, or self-esteem, impacts the answer
Identity development utilizes self-esteem to make decisions regarding
occupation and ideology, and, ultimately, to assist in finding ones role in
society

Slavin, 2015

Teachers and Identity Development

Teachers should work to foster a learning environment in which students

are able and encouraged to explore different ideologies and occupations in
order to find their true selves
To accomplish this, teachers can:

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Encourage students to contemplate their own values by breaking into small

groups and posing different scenarios based on moral dilemmas and similar
topics to be discussed
Present and discuss real ethical issues that lack clear answers
Have students analyze cultural, social, and other norms without providing the
right answers
Ask questions which the teacher does not know the answer to
Discuss a variety of subject areas, occupations, and ideologies
Allow for choice in assignments, content, and instructional methods 7

Johnson, 2016

Sources

"Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development - Boundless Open

Textbook." Boundless. Boundless Psychology, 08 Jan. 2016. Web. 18 Mar.
2016.
"James Marcia's Identity Theory: Understanding Adolescents' Search For
Identity." Study.com. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
Johnson, Andrew, PhD. "Social and Moral Development: Erikson, Marcia,
Kohlberg, and Gilligan." Education Psychology: Theories of Learning and
Human Development. Academia. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
McLeod, Saul, M.S. "Erik Erikson." Erik Erikson. Simply Psychology, 2008.
Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
Oswalt, Angela, M.S.W. "James Marcia And Self-Identity." Mental Help James
Marcia and Self-Identity Comments. MentalHelp.net, 17 Nov. 2010. Web. 18
Mar. 2016.
Slavin, Robert E. Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice. 11th ed.
New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2015. 50-51, 57. Print.