Chapter 12

• Identity


  A coherent conception of the self, made up of goals, values, and beliefs to which the person is solidly committed
• Identity vs. Identity Confusion

  Erikson's fifth stage of psychosocial development, in which an adolescent seeks to develop a coherent sense of self, including the role he or she is to play in society
• Issues adolescents seek to resolve to develop identity

  • The choice of an occupation
  • The adoption of values to live by
  • The development of a satisfying sexual identity
• Cliquishness and intolerance of differences


  Defenses against identity confusion
• According to Erikson's theory, a man is not capable of real intimacy until after he has achieved a stable identity; whereas women define themselves through marriage and motherhood (women develop identity through intimacy) – this male orientation of Erikson's theory prompted criticism
• Psychosocial moratorium


  • Time out period (to actively search for their identity)
  • The protected period necessary to build a stable sense of self
  • Allows young people to search for commitments to which they can be faithful
• Fidelity


  • The virtue adolescents develop once they resolved their identity crisis
  • Sustained loyalty, faith, or a sense of belonging to a loved one or to friends and companions
  • An identification with a set of values, an ideology, a religion, a political movement, a creative pursuit, or an ethnic group
  • An extension of trust (to mentors and loved ones)
• Identity status


  States of ego development that depends on the presence of absence of crisis and commitment
• Crisis


  A period of conscious decision making related to identity formation
• Commitment


  A personal investment in an occupation or system of beliefs (ideology)
• Four types of identity status

  • Identity achievement
  • Foreclosure
  • Moratorium
  • Identity diffusion
• Identity achievement


  • Crisis leading to commitment
  • Characterized by commitment to choices made following a crisis, a period spent in exploring alternatives
• Foreclosure


  • Commitment without crisis
  • A person who has not spent time considering alternatives (that is, has not been in crisis) is committed to other people's plans for his or her life
• Moratorium


  • Crisis with no commitment yet
  • A person is currently considering alternatives (in crisis) and seems headed for commitment
• Identity diffusion


  • No commitment, no crisis
  • Characterized by absence of commitment and lack of serious consideration of alternatives
• Identity and intimacy develop together for women
• Individual differences may be more important than gender differences
• Male self-esteem tends to be linked with striving for individual achievement, whereas female self-esteem depends more on connections with others
• Recent studies find that self-esteem drops during adolescence more rapidly for girls than boys, and then rising gradually into adulthood
• Race or ethnicity is central to identity formation
• Four ethnic identity statuses

  • Diffuse
  • Foreclosed
  • Moratorium
  • Achieved
• Cultural socialization


  Parental practices that teach children about their racial/ethnic heritage and promote cultural practices and cultural pride
• Sexual orientation


  Focus of consistent sexual, romantic, and affection interest
• Heterosexuality predominates in nearly every known culture throughout the world
• Sexual behavior


  The average girl has her first sexual intercourse at 17 years old, the average boy is at 16 years old – approximately ¼ of boys and girls report having had intercourse by age 15
• Factors why adolescents become sexually active at an early age

  • Early entrance into puberty
  • Poverty
  • Lack of academic and career goals (poor school performance)
  • History of sexual abuse or parental neglect (absence of the father)
  • Peer pressure
  • Cultural or family patterns of early sexual experiences
• Contraceptives


  Devices or drugs that prevent pregnancy
• The best safeguard for sexually active teens is regular use of condoms, which give some protection against STDs and pregnancy
• Condom use has increased in recent years, as has the use of the pill and new hormonal and injectable methods of contraception or combinations of methods
• Where do teenagers get information about sex?

  • Friends
  • Parents
  • Sex education in school
  • Social media
• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

  Sometimes called sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases spread by sexual contact
• Common STDs


  • Chlamydia (bacterial infection)
  • Trichomoniasis (parasitic infection, sometimes passed on in moist objects such as towels and swimsuits)
  • Gonorrhea (bacterial infection)
  • HPV (genital warts, human papilioma virus)
  • Herpes (herpes simplex virus)
  • Hepatitis B (hepatitis B virus)
  • Syphilis (bacterial infection)
  • AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV))
• Many of the teenage mothers are impoverished and poorly educated, while some are drug users
• Many do not eat properly, do not gain enough weight, and get inadequate prenatal care or none at all
• Outcomes of teenage pregnancy

  • Babies are likely to be premature or dangerously small and are at heightened risk
  • Teenage unwed mothers and their families are likely to suffer financially
  • Teenage mothers are likely to drop out of school and to have repeated pregnancies
  • They and their partners may lack the maturity, skills, and social support to be good parents
  • Their children, in turn, tend to have developmental and academic problems, to be depressed, to engage in substance abuse and early sexual activity, and may even become adolescent parents themselves
• Adolescents spend more time with peers and less with family – but even as teens turn to peers for role models, companionship, and intimacy, they look to parents for a secure base
• The most secure adolescents have strong, supportive, relationships with parents who are attuned to the way the young people see themselves, permit and encourage their strivings for independence, and provide a safe haven in times of emotional stress
• Adolescent rebellion


  Pattern of emotional turmoil, characteristic of a minority of adolescents, which may involve conflict with family, alienation from adult society, reckless behavior, and rejection of adult values
• Adolescence can be a tough time for young people and their parents
• Family conflict, depression, and risky behavior are more common than during other parts of the life span