FAD4936 Contexts of Adolescence Spring 2014 Exam 2 Study Guide Chapter 6 Dimensions of the self o Self concept a person s self conscious cognitive perception and evaluation of himself or herself one s thoughts and opinions about oneself Global entity how someone feels about himself or herself in general Multiple self conceptions concepts developed in relation to different roles Self concepts may or may not be close approximations of reality and are always in the process of change Proprium self identity that is developing in time o Strang 4 basic dimensions of the self Basic self concept adolescent s view of his or her personality and perceptions of his abilities and his status and roles in the outer world Transitory self concepts ideas of self influenced by the mood of the moment or by a recent or continuing experience Ex low grade on exam may leave person with temporary feeling of stupidity Social selves the selves he or she thinks others see which in turn influence how the individual sees himself or herself evolves through social interactions Ideal self the kind of person an adolescent would like to be Ideal self that is too low impedes accomplishment o Self enhancement thesis an explanation for delinquency based on the need for troubled youths to enhance their self esteem Ideal self that is too high may lead to frustration and self depreciation Realistic concept of self leads to self acceptance mental health and the attainment of realistic goals o Low self esteem can lead to role strain stress individuals experience when they are faced with competing demands and expectations Possible selves the different selves we envision ourselves becoming o Hoped for selves the people we hope to be in the future o Expected selves the people we think we will likely become o Feared selves the people we are afraid of becoming in the future What contributes to a positive self concept o Significant others individuals who occupy a high level of importance they are influential and their opinions are meaningful o Parents quality of family relations associated with levels of self esteem Mother adolescent relationships important High confident wise reasonable and self controlled Low rebellious impulsive touchy tactless o Socioeconomic status o Race Ethnicity o Gender African American adolescents have higher self esteem than those from any other group Asian American found to have lowest self esteem FAD4936 Contexts of Adolescence Spring 2014 Exam 2 Study Guide Girls somewhat lower than boys tied much more strongly to physical appearance o Disabilities o Stress as stress goes up self esteem goes down Transition from elementary school to middle school can be a stressful life event Erikson s view on identity development o Seven conflicts Temporal perspective vs time confusion learning to estimate and allocate one s time Role experimentation vs role fixation experiment in different characteristics and Self certainty vs self consciousness developing self confidence personalities Apprenticeship vs work paralysis exploring career options a negative self image can prevent success Sexual polarization vs bisexual confusion attempt to define male and female Leadership and followership vs authority confusion examination of priorities leadership responsibilities Ideological commitment vs confusion of values search for fidelity something to believe in o How does identity develop What contributes to a strong identity Exploration Making choices by exploring alternatives and committing to roles Reevaluating searching and considering alternatives Being met with conflicting opinions especially those of people whom you respect Within a strong identity a psychological moratorium has been experienced identity crises resolved and have come to conclusions and decisions on their own Integration o Marcia s identity statuses diffused foreclosure moratorium achieved Identity diffused adolescents who have not experienced a crisis and explored meaningful alternatives or made any commitments in finding an acceptable identity No interest in commitment might be masking other issues Some identity diffused adolescents try to avoid anxiety crisis and commitment by using drugs and alcohol Foreclosure establishing an identity without search or exploration usually according to what has been handed down by parents Ex youth who wants to be a doctor because his or her parents are Authoritarian and intolerant conformists and conventional thinkers Variant of foreclosure negative identity rejecting parental and societal values o Does opposite of what parents want Moratorium a period of time in the life of adolescents who are involved in a continual crisis who continue to search for an identity and who have not made any commitments Adolescence period of exploration before commitments are made Adolescence in this status may be unhappy with college and their choice of major Those with a moratorium identity are often rebellious and uncooperative FAD4936 Contexts of Adolescence Spring 2014 Exam 2 Study Guide Identity achieved adolescents who have undergone a crisis in their search for an identity and who have made a commitment Harmony within the self o Critique of Marcia s identity statuses Individuals may go through developmental sequence of identity more than once Too much focus on crisis commitment No exact sequence to identity development Moratorium can last many years Identity as a process identity control system o Identity control system a construct that describes the process of developing an identity Two interpersonal and three intrapersonal components Interpersonal o Social behavior o Interpersonal feedback one gets from others Intrapersonal o Self concept o Identity standards one s beliefs about how one should behave o Comparator the component of the identity control system that compromises one s self concept with one s identity standards o Adolescents in different identity states handle discrepancies in different ways Diffused individuals have yet to develop identity standards and so do not experience discrepancies Foreclosed youths overemphasize the feedback from their parents and significant others and form standards too early on Moratoriums are actively seeking feedback and are willing to adjust their identity standards Individuals who are identity achieved have solidified their identity standards but they develop these standards more slowly and base them more on broad based feedback Three styles of identity searching o Information