Understanding Adolescent Identity Development

1. Identity • Identity development and adolescence • Self-conceptions during adolescence • Self-esteem change during adolescence • Adolescent identity • Ethnic identity • Gender identity

2. Identity: Why an Adolescent Issue? • Changes in the way we see and feel about ourselves occur throughout the life span • Adolescence marks the first restructuring of one’s sense of self at a time when he or she can appreciate the significance of these changes

3. Identity: Why an Adolescent Issue? • Physical changes of puberty • Appearance • Relationships with others • Cognitive changes • Imagine possible selves • Develop a future orientation • Social changes • In self-conceptions • In self-esteem • In sense of identity

4. Changes in Self-Conceptions • Self-conception is the way individuals think about and characterize themselves (traits and attributes) • During adolescence, more complex, abstract self-conceptions develop • Personality is expressed in different ways in different situations • Differentiated self-concept: • Actual self • Ideal self • Feared self

5. Childhood vs. Adolescence I have a dog named Jake and a brother named Silas. I’m good at sports, but not so good at school. I’m complicated. I’m sensitive, outgoing, popular and tolerant. I can be shy in some circumstances. I can also be self-conscious, even obnoxious when I’m upset….I have a positive view of humankind…. Concrete terms, related to traits Trait-focused, traits more abstract, personality characteristics

6. More Complex Sense of Self I recognize contradictions in my personality…. Which is the REAL me??? I’m shy around my relatives, but outgoing with my friends…. I’m aware that I sometimes show a FALSE self to others that isn’t really the me or the way I think and feel The formal operational ability to perceive multiple aspects of a situation or idea mean that self-understanding becomes more complex in adolescence.

7. The multiple selves of a 15-year-old girl

8. Changes in Self-Conceptions • False-Self Behavior • Acting in a way that one knows in inauthentic or fake • Most likely to happen in dating situations • Least likely to happen around close friends

9. Personality in Adolescence • The Five-Factor Model of Personality (The “Big Five”): • Extraversion(outgoing and energetic) • Agreeableness (kind or sympathetic) • Conscientiousness (responsibility) • Neuroticism (anxious or tense) • Openness to Experience (curiosity)

10. Personality in Adolescence • “Big Five” personality traits • Influenced by combination of genetic and environmental factors • Strong links between earlier infant temperament and adolescent personality • Adolescence is not a time of rebirth in terms of personality • Most personality traits are quite stable during adolescence

11. Changes in Self-Esteem • Self-esteem • How an individual feels about him or herself • Self-esteem is fairly stable over time • Baseline self-esteem: The way that adolescents typically feel about themselves overall (e.g., “I am a good person”) • Adolescents’ feelings about themselves fluctuate day by day • Barometric self-esteem: The way that adolescents feel about themselves depending on specific events of that day (e.g., “I feel bad that I was mean to my friend”)

12. Self-esteem: Defining Aspects • Baseline Self-esteem • Stable, enduring sense of worth and well-being • BarometricSelf-esteem • Fluctuating sense of worth and well-being as one responds to different thoughts, experiences, etc. through the course of a day

13. Adolescent Self-image: 8 Domains Susan Harter (1989…2001) • Scholastic Competence • Social Acceptance • Athletic Competence • Physical Appearance • Job Competence • Romantic Appeal • Behavioral Conduct • Close Friendship

14. The Relative Importance of Different Sources of Self-Esteem Susan Harter (1989…2001) An Example Global Self-Esteem Sports/ Athletics Body Image Family Peers School

15. Changes in Self-Esteem • During early adolescence • Increased volatility in barometric self-image • Different trajectories for different adolescents • Young adolescents with the most volatile barometric self-esteem report the highest levels of anxiety, tension, psychosomatic symptoms, and irritability

16. Experience Sampling Method • “Beeper” studies in which adolescents are beeped at random times during the day and asked to record their emotional state • Adolescents record feeling “self-conscious” and “embarrassed” 2-3 times more than adults • Adolescents are “moodier” than preadolescents • Adolescents experience more negative moods than preadolescents • Older adolescents were less volatile (fewer extremes) in emotions than younger adolescents

17. Decline in Average Emotional States (Larson et al, 2002) Average emotional states decline from grade 5 through 11 and then appear to level off at grade 12 Consistently higher numbers for girls than for boys

18. Self-Esteem and Transitions

19. Self-esteem in Emerging Adulthood For most young people, self-esteem rises during emerging adulthood. Why might this be?

20. Sex Differences in Self-Esteem

21. Sex Differences in Self-Esteem Negative Evaluations of Appearance Among Adolescents Who Rank These Characteristics High for Self-Esteem

22. Sex Differences in Self-Esteem Negative Evaluations of Weight Among Adolescents Who Rank These Characteristics High for Self-Esteem

23. Sex Differences in Self-Esteem • Gender differences in self-esteem (boys > girls) • become smaller over course of adolescence • more pronounced among white and Puerto Rican teens • less pronounced among African-American teens • Middle-class > lower SES • have higher self-esteem than their less-affluent peers • SES discrepancy grows larger over the course of adolescence • African-American girls > white/Hispanic • Do not feel as negative about appearance • Have higher overall self-esteem • Show less of a decline in self-esteem over adolescence

24. African American (Self-Esteem Highest) White Adolescents Hispanic American Asian American Native American Racial Differences in Self-Esteem

25. Racial Differences in Self-Esteem • Higher self-esteem among African-American teens • Benefit from support/positive feedback of adults in the African-American community, especially in the family • Focus on areas of strength, not weakness • Have a strong sense of ethnic identity that enhances self-esteem

26. Ethnic Differences in Self-Esteem • Lower self-esteem among Hispanic-American teens • Lower levels of authoritative parenting • Lower levels of perceived teacher support • Weaker sense of ethnic identity • Higher levels of family stress

27. Antecedents and Consequences of High Self-Esteem • Across all demographic groups, self-esteem is related to: • Parental approval • Peer support • Success in school • Teens who derive self-esteem from peers, rather than teachers or parents, show more behavioral problems and poorer school achievement

28. The Adolescent Identity Crisis • Erikson’s Theoretical FrameworkThe establishment of a coherent sense of identity is the chief psychosocial crisis of adolescence

29. The Adolescent Identity Crisis

30. Identity “Crisis” in Adolescence Crisis = “Exploration” Identity Achievement Identity Confusion vs. Establishing a clear and definite sense of who you are and how you fit into the world around you. Failure to form a stable and secure identity. Keep in Mind… Achieving identity requires exploration – sifting through life choices, trying out possibilities, and ultimately making commitments.

31. Items from the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status 1. I haven’t chosen the occupation I really want to get into, and I’m just working at what is available until something better comes along. 2. When it comes to religion I just haven’t found anything that appeals and I don’t really feel the need to look. 3. My ideas about men’s and women’s roles are identical to my parents’. What has worked for them will obviously work for me. 4. There’s no single “life style” which appeals to me more than another. 5. There are a lot of different kinds of people. I’m still exploring the many possibilities to find the right kind of friends for me. 6. I sometimes join in recreational activities when asked, but I rarely try anything on my own. … 63. I date only people my parents would approve of. 64. My folks have always had their own political and moral beliefs about issues like abortion and mercy killing and I’ve always gone along accepting what they have. For more information, see www.uoguelph.ca/%7Egadams/omeis.htm

32. Four Identity Statuses: Examples

33. Four Identity Statuses: Examples

34. The Adolescent Identity Crisis: Identity versus Identity Diffusion • The adolescent’s identity results from a mutual recognition between the young person and society • The adolescent forges an identity, but at the same time society identifies the adolescent • Key to resolution lies in social interactions (according to Erikson)

35. The Social Context of Identity Development • Course of identity development varies by culture and historical era • Many more career options for women than in the past means more complicated choices to make • The more alternatives that are available, the more difficult it is to establish a sense of identity • Because of these complications, adolescents may need a “time out” to figure out identity before entering adult roles

36. The Social Context of Identity Development Psychological Moratorium • “Time out” from excessive responsibilities and obligations • Experiment with different roles • Luxury of the affluent if introspection interferes with survival

37. Problems in Identity Development • Identity diffusion • incoherent, disjointed, incomplete sense of self • Identity Foreclosure • bypassing the period of exploration and experimentation • Negative Identity • identities that are undesirable to parents or the community

38. Identity Development • Determining an Adolescent’s Identity Status • Degree of commitment • Degree ofexplorationorcrisis

39. Identity Development • Identity generally not established before age 18 • During college, vocational plans solidify • but not religious and political beliefs • College may prolong psychosocial moratorium • especially for political and religious beliefs • Individuals may move from one identity status to another, particularly during adolescent and young adult years

40. Occupation Choice & Identity Status A = Achievement M= Moratorium F= Foreclosure D= Diffusion

41. Occupation Choice & Identity Status A = Achievement M= Moratorium F= Foreclosure D= Diffusion

42. Occupation Choice & Identity Status A = Achievement M= Moratorium F= Foreclosure D= Diffusion

43. Occupation Choice & Identity Status A = Achievement M= Moratorium F= Foreclosure D= Diffusion

44. Occupation Choice & Identity Status A = Achievement M= Moratorium F= Foreclosure D= Diffusion

45. Occupation Choice & Identity Status A = Achievement M= Moratorium F= Foreclosure D= Diffusion

46. Gender and Identity I’ll put my plans to explore different careers on hold because it’s important that I maintain my relationship. My fiancé is planning to study engineering, and I’ll move to Chicago with him to support his studies… Consider this scenario in terms of gender and identity formation in adolescence and emerging adulthood… Young women tend to have more difficulty than young men in integrating their aspirations for love with their aspirations for work, in part because of gender double standards. Identity formation conflicts with the task of young adults to achieve intimacy vs. isolation.

47. Masculine Characteristics Independent Aggressive Acts as leader Self-confident Dominant Active Ambitious Outspoken Adventurous Competitive Likes math and science Takes a stand Makes decisions easily Skilled in business Feminine Characteristics Emotional Grateful Kind Creative Gentle Understanding Aware of others' feelings Enjoys art and music Tactful Considerate Home oriented Cries Easily Devotes self to others Strong conscience

48. The Bem Sex-Role Inventory

49. Gender Concept and Sex-Typed Behavior Sandra Bem High Masculinity • Masculine • Androgynous Low Femininity High Femininity • Undifferentiated • Feminine Low Masculinity

50. Gender Concept and Sex-Typed Behavior:Examples from TV, Movies, or Books? Sandra Bem High Masculinity • Masculine • Androgynous ?? ?? Low Femininity High Femininity • Undifferentiated • Feminine ?? ?? Low Masculinity