A Sense of Identity

1. A Sense of Identity • Erikson: Identity vs. Role Confusion • Adolescence • Identity Crisis • Moratorium • Marcia’s Identity Statuses (next slide) • Diffusion • Foreclosure • Moratorium • Achieved

3. Developmental Progress of Identity Formation • Philip Meilman study • Age 12-15: diffusion or foreclosure • Age 18: moratorium • 20% 18 year old; 40% college; slightly more than half of 24 year olds= Id achiev.

4. Influences on IdentityFormation • 1. Cognitive growth: formal operations • 2. Relationships with parents • Rejection, neglect: diffusion status • Identification w/parents first helps • Foreclosure: may not develop own ID • Achieved more likely if living independently • Moratorium, Identity Achieved • Affection and freedom at home

5. Influences on Identity Formation • Prior stage resolution • Educational/work history • Models/alternatives • Personality traits • Gender

6. Critique of Identity Status Model • Validity/reliability of test instrument • Replication • Expand samples • Cross-cultural • Type model • Timing in recent cohorts

7. The Self in a Cross-Cultural Perspective • Culture • Gender • Age

8. Culture • Collectivism vs. Individualism • Collectivism define self as part of group welfare of group; goals social norms duties and obligations

9. Culture • Individualism define self as separate from group personal goals welfare of individual internal processes

10. Implications for the Development of the Self • Childrearing patterns • Meaning of different aspects of the self • Value systems, i.e. heroes • Relationships vs. possessions • Motives and behaviors

11. Men, Women and Identity Formation • Gender: sociocultural aspects of being masculine or feminine • Gender Identity: set by age three; acts as perceptual filter; expectations deeply ingrained; basis of stereotypes • Real gender differences actually small

12. Gender Roles Female Expressive Role establish/maintain relationships nurturing, cooperation, sensitivity Male Instrumental Role goal/achievement oriented dominance, assertiveness, independence more valued role in society

13. Social Role Theory • Contribution of biological factors minimal • Roles learned through socialization • Gender splitting

14. Evolutionary Psychology • Natural selection • Successful adaptation • Cultural processes have coevolved • Gender revolution

15. Prominence of the Male Model of Development • Erikson, identity and females • Female= deficient or deviant • Contradiction- femininity and adulthood • Strengths may be dysfunctional in our society

16. Identity Research and Women • Content different while process similar • Differences- sociocultural not capacities • Foreclosure may = identity achievement • Timing

17. Patterns of Age-Related Change in Adult Personality • Declines in neuroticism, extroversion and openness • Increase in agreeableness, conscientiousness • Rate of change highest age 18-30 • Older less: thrill seeking, cheerfulness, openness • Older more: self-control, morally responsible, aware of social demands

18. Explanation of Age-Related Changes • Cross-cultural findings suggest nature • Advantages at different points in lifespan • Orderly pattern to adult personality development regardless of place or time

19. Maintaining Continuityof the Self • Most elders have positive sense of self • Cognitive explanation • Subjective age • Patterns in subjective age • Positive or negative subjective age

20. Causes of Low Self-Esteem in Late Adulthood • If negative, unlikely to reverse • Drop in self-esteem: loss of physical capacity or loss of control