Lecture 11: Self And Identity

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Lecture 11Self And Identity
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INTRODUCTIONA. BPS Model and Adolescence

• The BPS Model suggests that changes in
  adolescence are the result of dealing with new
  capacities and demands on the adolescent due
  to...
• Evolutionary-based and biological changes in
  hormones resulting in the growth of primary and
  secondary sex characteristics.
• Cognitive changes in the ability be think
  abstractly and hypothetically
• There are also culturally-based social changes in
  expectations, responsibilities, and monitoring,
  given new status and sexual characteristics.

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INTRODUCTIONA. BPS Model and Adolescence

• Biological, cognitive, and cultural forces dont
  influence adolescents behavior directly but are
  mediated by social contexts.
• Direct biological effects are minimal but
  indirect ones mediated in social context by
  secondary sex characteristics are strong
• Cognitive influences are also mediated by social
  context.
• Whether an adolescent uses cognitive abilities
  for abstract and hypothetical thinking depends on
  social context.
• Cultural differences in forces which regulate
  microsystem-level organization and expectations.

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INTRODUCTIONB. Issues in Adolescent Development

• The BPS model helps us fully understand the tasks
  and challenges uniquely faced by adolescents
• Over the next 5 weeks we will consider a number
  of adolescent issues from the BPS perspective in
  order to understand what challenges they pose
  uniquely to adolescents
• Self and Identity
• Gender Sexuality
• Morality, Values and Religion
• Careers and Work

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INTRODUCTIONC. Introduction to Self and identity

• The BPS model suggests that biological and
  cognitive changes affect adolescents sense of
  themselves depending of social-cultural context
• We explore this claim over the next 5 lectures by
  focusing on 4 aspect of individuals sense of
  themselves
• Personality
• Traits Relatively stable characteristics of self
  
• Temperament Inborn behavioral characteristics
• Emotions Affect which involves physiological
  arousal, behavioral expression and conscious
  experience
• Self Understanding Cognitive representation of
  the self
• Identity Defining and adopting adult social
  roles.

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF A.
Personality

• 1. Traits
• Personality and traits Stable ways in which we
  all differ
• Big five personality traits Five core traits or
  personality

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF A.
Personality

• Big five may not be as stable in adolescence as
  in adulthood.
• Even stable traits do not necessarily deny the
  influence of social context on behavior.
• Personality is also affected situations
• Extravert at party may behave like an introvert
  in the library
• Interactionist account of personality holds
  that both stability and situational fluctuation
  may be the rule in personality

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF A.
Personality

• 2. Temperament is an individual's behavioral
  style their characteristic way of responding.
• Temperamental differences seen in newborns.
• Easy (positive and adaptable), Difficult,
  (negative and rigid), Slow to warm up (low
  activity and intensity)
• This category system has been reworked and
  applied to adolescents.
• Positive affect/approachable (introversion/extrave
  rsion)
• Negative affectivity (introversion and
  neuroticism)
• Effortful control (self-regulation)
• While biologically based, temperaments are also
  supported by environmental factors.

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II. PERSONALITY, EMOTIONS, AND SELF B. Emotions

• Emotions, feelings, or affect involves
  physiological arousal, behavioral expression, and
  sometimes conscious experience.
• 1. Emotions in Adolescence
• Emotional changes in adolescence
• Increase in intensity (higher emotional highs and
  lower emotional lows)
• Increase in fleeting emotions (change rapidly)
• Increase in negative emotions
• Emotional expression (often inappropriately
  respond to more intense feelings)

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF B.
Emotions

• 2. Biopsychosocial Nature of Emotions
• Emotional changes in adolescence may be due to
  biological, psychosocial, and cultural factors.
• Biological Factors
• Hormonal changes may have a small effect on the
  changes in emotions, but with more importance
  given to social factors.
• Increase in dopamine in the limbic system also
  makes adolescents more emotional.
• Psychosocial Factors
• Transitions to middle school
• Onset of sexual and romantic relations
• Cultural Factors
• Emotions have cultural significance.

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF B.
Emotions

• 3. Emotional Regulation Skills
• Changes in emotions in adolescence associated
  with changes in emotional regulatory skills.
• Coping skills Altering intensity of emotions.
• Emotional Expression Communicating emotions to
  others more appropriately.
• Adolescents remain poor mangers of their
  emotions.
• Prone to emotional outbursts.
• Poor skills anticipating their own emotions.
• Anticipated regret, decision making, and risk
  taking

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF C. Self
Understanding

• 1. Defining Self Understanding
• Adolescents become more introspective in
  adolescence.
• In what ways did you become more
  self-conscious, self-exploratory, and
  self-focused.
• What is the self that adolescent reflect upon?
• Self understanding Cognitive representation of
  the self the substance and content of the
  adolescents self-concept.

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF C. Self
Understanding

• 2. Dimensions of adolescents self concept
• Idealistic Self described abstractly. Ideal
  (perfected) self created.
• Differentiated More variation in self with
  widening social contexts.
• Fluctuating More variation of the self across
  different situations.
• Contradictory Variations in self contradict.
• Real vs. Other Ideal, Possible (the selves one
  would or would not like to be) and False
  (facades) selves distinguished from Real self.

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF C. Self
Understanding

• 2. Dimensions of self concept
• Social comparison They evaluate themselves
  relative to others, although the tendency
  decrease over age.
• Awareness Self consciousness and preoccupation
  with the self.
• Self-protectiveness More sophisticated defense
  mechanism used to protect and enhance the self.
• Unconsciousness Recognize some things are
  outside their awareness.
• Integrated Motivation to systematically piece
  
• together the self.

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF C. Self
Understanding

• 3. Self and Socio-Cultural Contexts
• Socio-contextual factors matter in the experience
  and expression of the self.
• Self differs depending on the presence of others
  Parents, friends, teachers, etc.
• Self differs depending on the role portrayed
  Student, athlete, employee, etc.
• Self portrayed depends of characteristics that
  make you unique in a context.
• Cultural variation in multiple selves
• Consistent and stable selves emphasized in North
  America.
• Relational selves emphasized in Japan.

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF C. Self
Understanding

• 4. Self-Esteem and Self Concept
• Self Esteem (self-worth or self-image) Global
  evaluation of characteristics of self
• Self Concept Domain-specific evaluation of the
  self.
• Domains include academic, athletic, physical
  appearance, peer status
• Appearance and peer acceptance are particularly
  important domains for adolescents.

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF C. Self
Understanding

• Measurement issues
• Popular measure of Self Esteem Self Perception
  Profile for Adolescents (Harter, 1989)
• Measures both global self confidence and specific
  self concept
• Self-concept domains scholastic competence,
  academic competence, social competence, physical
  appearance, behavioral conduct, close
  friendships, romantic appeal, job competence.
• Relations between global and specific measures
  show interesting patterns

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF C. Self
Understanding
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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF C. Self
Understanding

• 4ii. Changes in Adolescent Self Understanding
• New dimensions of evaluation are added
• Close friendship, romantic appeal, and job
  competence (in addition to academic, physical,
  social, and appearance)
• Evidence that self-esteem decreases with
  transition from elementary to junior high school.
• This applies to any major transition.
• Some evidence suggests that self-esteem decreases
  over adolescence for girls
• Gender intensification, Girls negative self
  evaluations

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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF C. Self
Understanding
The changes in self-esteem over the adolescent
years may reflect four distinct patterns rather
than a single general pattern.
(mostly females)
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II. PERSONALITY, EMPOTIONS, AND SELF C. Self
Understanding

• 4iii. Increasing Self esteem
• Low self esteem is problematic particularly when
  there are other stressors or problems present
• Depression, suicide, delinquency, eating
  disorders
• Techniques to improve self esteem
• Identifying the causes of low self-esteem and
  which domains of competence are important to the
  self
• Emotional support and social approval
• Promoting (real) achievement
• Learning coping strategies

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III IDENTITY A. Introduction

• Identity is another way of thinking about
  oneself.
• The concept of identity is similar to that of
  self
• Both involve a cognitive representation of the
  substance and content of who one is
• But identity is also different than self.
• The textbook equates identity to
  self-integration. This has two characteristics
• Identity is continuous over time although ones
  self may be different over time and from
  situation to situation
• Identity is related to social roles although self
  may not be. Adolescents specifically but adopt
  adult social roles.

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III IDENTITY B. Erikson

• Erikson is key theorist in identity development
• To Erikson, adolescence is a period of tension
  between identity vs. identity confusion, during
  which time they experience a psychosocial
  moratorium.
• Identity vs. identity confusion is Eriksons 5th
  stage of psycho-social development in which
  adolescents are faced with deciding between who
  that are, what they are about, and where they are
  going in life.
• Psychosocial Moratorium Time period between
  childhood security and adult autonomy, that
  adolescents experienced as part of their identity
  exploration.

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III IDENTITY C. Marcias Conceptualization

• James Marcias expanded on Eriksons
  conceptualization by identifying two dimensions
  of the identity formation process
• Exploration (Crisis) Period in which the
  adolescent is choosing among meaningful
  alternatives.
• Commitment Period in which adolescents show
  personal investment in what they are going to do.
• Levels of exploration and commitment were
  assessed in an interview addressing such domains
  as occupation, religion, marriage, sexuality,
  politics, lifestyle, etc.

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III IDENTITY C. Marcias Conceptualization

• Four Statuses
• From the two dimensions, four identity status
  (not stages!) can be identified

Commitment Commitment Commitment Commitment
Exploration Yes No
Exploration Yes Identity Achievement Identity Moratorium
Exploration No Identity Foreclosure Identity Diffusion
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III IDENTITY C. Marcias Conceptualization

• Identity Achievement
• Individuals have explored and committed
  themselves to self-chosen values and occupational
  goals.
• Identity Moratorium
• Individuals who are exploring alternatives in an
  effort to find values and goals to guide their
  life.
• Identity foreclosure I
• Individuals who have accepted ready-made values
  and goals that authority figures have chosen for
  them.
• Identity diffusion
• Individuals who do not have firm commitments to
  values and goals and are not actively trying to
  reach them.

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III IDENTITY C. Marcias Conceptualization

• 2. Development of Identity
• Early adolescence associated with identity status
  of Diffusion, Foreclosure, and perhaps
  Moratorium.
• Early in adolescence is a time to reflect on and
  reevaluate past identifications.
• Motivation and parental support part of this
  reflection
• Late adolescence associated with more Achievement
  and less Diffusion
• The process of identity formation is not
  stage-like.
• MAMA cycles involves vacillating between status
• Developmental patterns are domain-specific.

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III IDENTITY C. Marcias Conceptualization
A Achievement M Moratorium F Foreclosure D
Diffusion
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III IDENTITY C. Marcias Conceptualization

• 3. Identity status and Mental Health
• Moratorium and Achievement
• Have a higher self-esteem, tend to be abstract
  and critical thinkers, report less discrepancy
  between ideal and real selves, and are advanced
  in moral reasoning.
• Moratorium associated with more stress than
  Achievement.
• Foreclosure
• Tend to be dogmatic, inflexible, and intolerant.
• Diffusion
• Long-term diffusion associated with few goals,
  poor educational achievement and attainment, and
  higher likelihood of using/abusing drugs.

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III IDENTITY C. Marcias Conceptualization
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III IDENTITY D. Biopsychosocial model

• Biopsychosocial model of Identity Growth
• Biology
• Personality traits Flexible, open-minded
  approach to grappling with competing beliefs and
  values.
• Cognitive
• Hypothetical and Relativistic thinking (more than
  logical thinking) related to the development of
  identity
• Family
• Can help the development of Achievement in two
  ways
• Promoting Individuality (self-assertion and
  separateness)
• Supporting Connectedness ( mutuality and
  permeability)

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III IDENTITY D. Biopsychosocial model

• Gender Issues
• Gender different in concerns and processes of
  identity development.
• Males focus on autonomy (promotes Moratorium and
  Achievement), whereas females focus on family and
  relationships (promotes Foreclosure).
• Females face irreversible choice of careers or
  family, so Moratorium (postponing both) not
  acceptable.
• Peers
• As adolescents interact with diverse peers, their
  exposure to new ideas and values expands.
• Close friends provide emotional support,
  assistance, and role model for identity
  development.

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III IDENTITY D. Biopsychosocial model

• School and Community
• Classrooms foster identity achievement by
  promoting
• high-level thinking
• Extracurricular and community activities
• Vocational training programs.
• Between ages 13 and 17, exploration increases
  among adolescents living in urban environments,
  but decreases among youths in rural areas.

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III IDENTITY D. Biopsychosocial model

• Larger Society
• Social context and the importance of identity
  domains
• In suburban non-religious youth, exploration and
  commitment take place earlier in the domains of
  vocational choice and gender-role preference than
  in religious and political values.
• Youth in collectivist cultures experience less
  confusing identity development period.
• Social obligations and commitments are less open
  to negotiation.
• Societal forces are also linked to the special
  problems that gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths
  and ethnic minority adolescents face in forming a
  secure identity.
• Difference between given versus chosen identity
  elements

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III IDENTITY C. Consequences

• 1. Identity Intimacy
• Ericsons 6th stage after identity is intimacy
  vs. Isolation.
• Give to others only after you have a sense of
  self.
• Relation between identity and intimacy may be
  different for males and females.
• Males Identity gt Intimacy
• Females Intimacy gt identity

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III IDENTITY C. Consequences

• 2. Identity Loneliness
• Being alone can be constructive, a time for teens
  and youth to reflect.
• Highest incidence of loneliness in late
  adolescence and young adults
• Often defined in terms of contact with females
  for both males and females.
• Loneliness as an emotion (not a state) related to
  
• poor relations with parents, poor social skills,
  low self-esteem, problems with intimacy,
  inappropriate self disclosure.

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III IDENTITY C. Consequences

• Types of Loneliness
• Emotional Isolation
• Person lacks intimate attachment relationships
  single divorced, and widowed often experience
  this
• Social isolation
• Person lacks a sense of integrated involvement.
• Being deprived of participation in a group or
  community (involving companionship, shared
  interests, organized activities, and meaningful
  roles) causes alienation, boredom, and unease.
• BOTH in adolescence

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IV. RESEARCH FOCUS A. Markstrom-Adams

• Hypothesis
• Variables
• IV Religion and Church attendance
• DV Identity status (OEM-EIS)
• Predictions
• Minority LDS members will score higher on
  commitment (more likely be Foreclosed or
  Achieved) than majority Protestants and
  Catholics.
• High levels of church attendance will be
  associated with higher levels of commitment.

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IV. RESEARCH FOCUS A. Markstrom-Adams

• Procedure
• Logan-area adolescents, hand picked by their
  respective church leaders, filled out an Identity
  Questionnaire (EOM-EIS) and answered questions
  about church attendance.
• Results
• LDS adolescents had higher Ideological and
  Interpersonal Foreclosure means than Non-LDS
  adolescents (Table 1)
• Weekly church-goers were higher in Interpersonal
  Foreclosure and lower Ideological Diffusion means
  those who didnt (Table 2).

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IV. RESEARCH FOCUS A. Markstrom-Adams
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IV. RESEARCH FOCUS A. Markstrom-Adams
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IV. RESEARCH FOCUS A. Markstrom-Adams

• There was an interesting interaction between
  Religious Status and Church Attendance on
  identity development

Regular church attendance was related to higher
Achievement for LDS but not non-LDS teens
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IV. RESEARCH FOCUS A. Markstrom-Adams

• Discussion
• Markstrom-Adams explains much of the effects on
  LDS minority religious status. What do you
  think?