Development of Self, Identity, and Personality Across the Lifespan

1. A Topical Approach toLife-Span Development 6e Chapter Eleven: The Self, Identity, and Personality John W. Santrock

2. The Self • Self-esteem and self-concept • Self-esteem: Self-worth, self-image • Refers to global self-evaluation • Self-concept: Domain-specific evaluations of self • Academic, athletic, appearance • Distinct: not really interchangeable

3. The Self • Issues in self-esteem • Positively related to Happiness • Modest correlation with school performance • Linked to job performance; correlations vary • Related to perceived physical appearance across life-span • Depression is linked to self-esteem • Self-esteem in adolescence appears linked to adjustment and competence in adulthood

4. Figure 11.3 - Self-Esteem Across the Lifespan

5. The Self • Developmental changes in self-esteem • Childhood and adolescence • Self-evaluation accuracy increases across elementary school years; more realistic • Majority of adolescents have positive self-image cross-culturally • Gender differences in self-esteem emerge by early adolescence

6. The Self • Developmental changes in self-esteem • Concern today: growing up receiving empty praise linked to inflated self-esteem in college students; difficulty handling competition and criticism • Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can’t Read, Write, or Add (Sykes, 1995). • Unmerited praise

7. The Self • Developmental changes in self-esteem • Adulthood: Older adults • Results vary on self-esteem decreasing • Individual coping skills affects perceptions of changes, events; • Emotion-related goals increase • Health evaluation based on peer comparisons • Low self-esteem linked to being widowed or institutionalized; experiencing physical decline/impairment; low religious commitment

8. The Self • Strategies for increasing self-esteem • Identify causes of low self-esteem and the domains of competence important to the self • Provide/Seek emotional support, social approval • Develop self-confidence and take the initiative • Achieve • Develop coping skills

9. Identity • What is identity? • A self-portrait composed of many pieces • Vocational/career, political, religious • Relationship, achievement/intellectual • Cultural/ethnic, sexual, physical • Personality and interests

10. Identity • Erikson’s view • a key aspect of adolescent development • Identity versus identity confusion • Identity -- when various roles are explored and a positive identity is achieved. • Psychosocial moratorium • Erikson’s term for the gap between childhood security and adult autonomy that adolescents experience as part of their identity exploration.

11. Identity • Contemporary thoughts on identity • A lengthy process and occurs gradually • This extraordinarily complex process neither begins nor ends with adolescence. • Years of physical, cognitive, socioemotional development can be merged into one path • At the bare minimum, identity formation involves a commitment to a vocational direction, an ideological stance, and a sexual orientation.

12. Identity • Developmental changes • Identity development begins in infancy with the appearance of attachment, the development of the sense of self, and the emergence of independence in infancy. • The process reaches its final phase with a life review and integration in old age. • It becomes integrated with physical, cognitive, and emotional maturity during adolescence.

13. Identity • Identity statuses by Marcia • Determines by the existence or extent of their crisis or commitment • Crisis: Period for exploring alternative identities • Commitment: Personal investment in identity • Young adolescents primarily in statuses of diffusion, foreclosure, or moratorium

14. Figure 11.6 - Marcia’s Identity Statuses