Lecture 11: Self And Identity

1. Lecture 11:Self And Identity

2. 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.

3. INTRODUCTIONA. BPS Model and Adolescence • Biological, cognitive, and cultural forces don’t 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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/extraversion) • Negative affectivity (introversion and neuroticism) • Effortful control (self-regulation) • While biologically based, temperaments are also supported by environmental factors.

9. 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)

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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: Variationsin selfcontradict. • Real vs. Other: Ideal, Possible(the selves one would or would not like to be) and False (facades) selves distinguished from Real self.

14. 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 tosystematically piece together the self.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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

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

19. 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

20. 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)

21. 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

22. 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 one’s 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.

23. 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 Erikson’s 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.

24. III IDENTITY C. Marcia’s Conceptualization • James Marcia’s expanded on Erikson’s 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.

25. III IDENTITY C. Marcia’s Conceptualization • Four Statuses • From the two dimensions, four identity status (not stages!) can be identified

26. III IDENTITY C. Marcia’s 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.

27. III IDENTITY C. Marcia’s 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.

28. III IDENTITY C. Marcia’s Conceptualization A = Achievement M= Moratorium F= Foreclosure D= Diffusion

29. III IDENTITY C. Marcia’s 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.

30. III IDENTITY C. Marcia’s Conceptualization

31. 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)

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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

35. III IDENTITY C. Consequences • 1. Identity & Intimacy • Ericson’s 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 —> Intimacy • Females: Intimacy —> identity

36. 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.

37. 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

38. 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.

39. 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 didn’t (Table 2).

40. IV. RESEARCH FOCUS A. Markstrom-Adams

41. IV. RESEARCH FOCUS A. Markstrom-Adams

42. 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

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