What Is Self-Concept in Psychology? Self-concept is our personal knowledge of who we are, encompassing all of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves physically, personally, and socially. Self-concept also includes our knowledge of how we behave, our capabilities, and our individual characteristics. Our self-concept develops most rapidly during early childhood and adolescence, but self-concept continues to form and change over time as we learn more about ourselves. Key Takeaways Self-concept is an individual's knowledge of who he or she is.According to Carl Rogers, self-concept has three components: self-image, self-esteem, and the ideal self.Self-concept is active, dynamic, and malleable.
Defining Self-Concept Social psychologist Roy Baumeister says that self-concept should be understood as a knowledge structure. Early research on self-concept suffered from the idea that self-concept is a single, stable, unitary conception of the self. Carl Rogers’ Components of Self-Concept Self-Image Self-Esteem Ideal Self Sources. Self-Concept, Self-Identity & Social Identity – Psychology & Sociology | Lecturio. Self Identity: Theory & Definition. Basics of Identity. Identity is largely concerned largely with the question: “Who are you?” What does it mean to be who you are? Identity relates to our basic values that dictate the choices we make (e.g., relationships, career). These choices reflect who we are and what we value.
For example, we can assume that the investment banker values money, while the college professor values education and helping students. Article continues after advertisement A person may hold multiple identities such as a teacher, father, or friend. Identity may be acquired indirectly from parents, peers, and other role models. Psychologists assume that identity formation is a matter of “finding oneself” by matching one’s talents and potential with available social roles.
What constitute the true self? Three goals are required for the task of identity formation. The second step is choosing one’s purpose in life. Identity is never “final” and continues to develop through the lifespan. Self-Concepts During Pre-adolescent stage. Who am I? Developing a Sense of Self and Belonging • ZERO TO THREE. Who am I? The words may be small but the question is one of the most significant ones in life.
As might be expected, this fundamental aspect of being human begins construction in infancy. A person may understand who he or she is from many different perspectives. Those perspectives, too, can be seen in very young children. I Am My Physical Self Because very young children are so sensory driven, one of the earliest facets of their identity to develop is their awareness of their physical self—their own body. Babies seem quite fascinated by playing with their own hands and feet, alternately touching, moving, and looking at them. Seeing their own image becomes more and more interesting as well, as babies gradually come to understand the image they see is them.
By 2 years old, children have gathered enough information about their physical selves that they can identify themselves in photographs. I Am What I Can Do Closely related to “myself as my body” is “myself as my abilities.” Names Self-Esteem. The Need for a Sense of Identity. Explanations > Needs > Sense of Identity Identity Formation | Group identity | Social comparison | Identity paradoxes | Identity statements | So what? Beyond the basic need for a sense of control, we are deeply driven by our sense of identity, of who we are.
We are in the middle of our individual world, where we place central importance on our sense of individual self. As Descartes said, ‘I think, therefore I am.’ Many social theories are to do with creating or preserving our sense of identity. Identity and needs Psychologist Abraham Maslow defined a hierarchy of needs, with the particular revelation that when lower level needs are not met, then higher-level needs will be abandoned in favor of shoring up the deeper needs. Take a look at the needs: What can be clearly seen here is that the upper three levels are about the person and their sense of self. Identity formation Individual identity We may, to a lesser or greater degree, define our selves internally, with limited reference to others. Identity Crisis | Definition of Identity Crisis by Merriam-Webster. What It Means to Be Having an Identity Crisis.
What Is an Identity Crisis? An identity crisis is a developmental event that involves a person questioning their sense of self or place in the world. The concept originates in the work of developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, who believed that the formation of identity was one of the most important conflicts that people face.
According to Erikson, an identity crisis is a time of intensive analysis and exploration of different ways of looking at oneself. Erikson noted that developing a sense of identity is important during the teenage years, though the formation and growth of identity are not confined to adolescence only.1 Instead, identity is something that shifts and changes throughout life as people confront new challenges and tackle different experiences. Thus, an identity crisis can occur at any age. What Is Identity? Identity involves the experiences, relationships, beliefs, values, and memories that make up a person's subjective sense of self.
Symptoms of an Identity Crisis. What Are the Causes of an Identity Crisis? There are various causes of identity crisis, including improper upbringing, lack of affirmation and unpleasant past experiences. Other factors that lead to identity crisis include stress, troubles and societal demands. Lack of ideologies and values, experimenting roles and being a leader may also cause identity crisis. Identity crisis refers to the failure to attain ego identity during adolescence. It is a state of an individual not believing in himself. A person experiencing identity crisis has a feeling of not knowing his real self. Identity crisis is one of the most important conflicts that individuals experience during development. The way a child is raised largely influences the way he lives in adulthood. Erik Erikson’s Identity Crisis: Who am I? Factors Influencing Identity Formation.
How Does Family Shape Identity? Family shapes identity through affecting self-confidence, political identity and occupational identity, according to Global Post. Although individual identity is influenced by many other factors, the family is the first group with which a child identifies, and familial interactions influence attitudes and beliefs well into adulthood. Family interactions can build up or break down an individual's self-confidence. A united, communicative family, for example, can help children gain self-confidence.
Children who are allowed and encouraged to pursue their own choices typically gain a greater sense of confidence and individuality. Family activities, such as camping or community service, can also instill skills that help children build self-confidence. Conversely, a family that is often critical of a child's performance may lead to reduced self-esteem. Family life can also influence political identity. Family life also influences occupational identity and career choices. Links of Adolescents Identity Development and Relationship with Peers: A Systematic Literature Review. Cultural and Societal Influences on Adolescent Development. The relationships adolescents have with their peers, family, and members of their social sphere play a vital role in their development.
Adolescence is a crucial period in social development, as adolescents can be easily swayed by their close relationships. Research shows there are four main types of relationships that influence an adolescent: parents, peers, community, and society. When children go through puberty in the United States, there is often a significant increase in parent-child conflict and a decrease in cohesive familial bonding.
Arguments often concern new issues of control, such as curfew, acceptable clothing, and the right to privacy. Parent-adolescent disagreement also increases as friends demonstrate a greater impact on the child; this is especially true when parents do not approve of new friends' values or behavior. The parent-child relationship When children go through puberty, there is often a significant increase in parent-child conflict. Culture. Can adolescent development change according to culture and upbringing? Adolescence is a stage of development, a period of transition between childhood and adulthood.
All teens go through changes; physical changes, social and emotional changes, and the process of developing their individual identity. Teens who come from different backgrounds are influenced by different cultural norms and parental expectations that stem from different attitudes toward values and norms in society. These different social norms may change the rate of development and affect the adolescent's development in terms of individual identity, social behavior and separation from parents, which are major factors in the teen years. Parents and family life are the foundations for building an adolescent's personality and identity, instilling values and social norms that are the basis for the teen's decision-making process and social behavior.
A family's socio-economic condition has an effect on adolescent development as economic crisis negatively affects families. Media's Influence on Social Norms and Identity Development of Youth - Applied Social Psychology. We are often bombarded with news stories showing the horrors of how media is shaping today's youth. Violence, gender-stereotyping, and even increased sexual promiscuity have been cited as ills of modern media outlets. With debates over media's influence often polarized, it becomes difficult to decipher what is the true influence of media.
It is often suggested that media has potentially profound effects on the social identity formation of young people. However, understanding how media outlets affect the identity of adolescents takes understanding what "identity" entails. So what is identity? How does this transformation of media affect youth, today? One of the strongest routes by which media appears to influence attitude-change is through persuasion.
Another interesting fact is that, whether consciously aware of what is being displayed or not, media plays a substantial role in influencing consumption patterns and lifestyle. Again, identity is a social concept. References Arnett, J. /nll/? Self Identity in Teens: Social Media Is Getting in the Way. The shaping of self identity in teens is one of the most important and most vulnerable processes of our lives. The self identity that we build during the adolescent years follows us into adulthood, which makes it an extremely critical period of time. Social media could be negatively affecting it, though. We live in a world where nearly every teenager has access to social media, whether it’s through their own device, a friend’s, or a shared one at home.
This level of connectivity has opened many doors in the way of communication, but it has also brought about questions of the negative impact it can have on forming minds. Social media can negatively impact young girls Social media is largely based on looks. While social media is an inspirational and revolutionary means of connecting with others, focusing on appearances is never good for a girl’s mental health–and that’s exactly what social media tends to focus on and “reward” with likes.
Solstice is here for your daughter. How Social Media Shapes Identity | Ulrike Schultze | TEDxSMU. Erik Erikson and Self-Identity - Child Development Theory: Adolescence (12-24) According to Erik Erikson, a prominent developmental theorist of the 1950's, youth must resolve two life "crises" during adolescence. Unlike many other developmental theorists of his era, Erikson's psychosocial theory of human development covers the entire lifespan, including adulthood.
Erikson used the term "crisis" to describe a series of internal conflicts that are linked to developmental stages. According to Erikson's theory, the way a person resolves the crisis will determine their personal identity and future development. In this article we limit our discussion to the crises of adolescence but more complete information about Erikson's theory can be found in the Introduction to Child Development article. The first crisis typically occurs during early to middle adolescence, and is called the crisis of identity versus identity confusion. This crisis represents the struggle to find a balance between developing a unique, individual identity while still being accepted and "fitting in. " Identity vs. Role Confusion.
Erikson's Identity vs. Role Confusion in Adolescent Development. Identity vs. Role Confusion Remember Chaya? She's rebelling against her parents, changing before their very eyes. She's resisting their expectations of her and trying out new and different aspects of herself. Chaya is displaying the adolescent psychosocial crisis that will either lead her to identity, or knowing who she is and what she believes, or to role confusion, or not being sure of who she is or what she believes. Think about it like this: Chaya is exploring and experimenting with different aspects of herself. On the other hand, her parents and the rest of society expect certain things from her. In adolescence, many people find that the tension between the internal forces of the self and the external forces of society is particularly high. If Chaya's parents and friends are supportive of her and allow some amount of experimentation with roles, Chaya will likely end up with a cohesive, full identity that expresses who she is.
Fidelity Chaya is not demonstrating fidelity. Identity vs. Role Confusion in Erikson's Theory. Identity versus confusion is the fifth stage of ego according to psychologist Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This stage occurs during adolescence between the ages of approximately 12 and 18. During this stage, adolescents explore their independence and develop a sense of self. According to Erikson, people progress through a series of stages as they grow and change throughout life. During each stage, people face a developmental conflict that must be resolved to successfully develop the primary virtue of that stage. He was interested in how social interaction and relationships affect development and growth. Overview Psychosocial Conflict: Identity Versus ConfusionMajor Question: "Who am I? " What Is Ego Identity?
One of the main elements of Erikson's psychosocial stage theory is the development of ego identity. During the identity versus confusion stage, the conflict is centered on developing a personal identity. Development During the Adolescent Years. James Marcia's Adolescent Identity Development.
James Marcia's Identity States. James Marcia and Self-Identity - Child Development Theory: Adolescence (12-24) James Marcia is another influential theorist who expanded upon Erikson's concept of identity crisis and identity confusion. His initial work was published during the 1960's but his theory continues to be refined in accordance with recent research findings. Although Marcia's theory originally conceptualized identity development in terms of a progressive developmental trend, his theory has subsequently become more descriptive and categorical, defining and identifying particular configurations of identity exploration and commitment. Marcia's theory descriptively categorizes four main points or stations along the continuum of identity development.
These stations or points describe very different identity conditions, ranging from a diffuse and indeterminate individual identity to a precisely defined and highly specific individual identity. Marcia used the term identity status to label and describe four unique developmental identity stations or points. Identity Foreclosure. Identity Foreclosure in Adolescents. Identity Moratorium in Tweens and Teens. Identity Achievement: Definition & Example. Identity Achievement and Your Teen. Identity Achievement and Emerging Adulthood « Classroom as Microcosm. What Is Identity Diffusion? Definition and Examples. Examples of Identity Diffusion. Positive Identity as a Positive Youth Development Construct: A Conceptual Review.
The Importance of Identity, History, and Culture in the Wellbeing of Indigenous Youth. Links of Adolescents Identity Development and Relationship with Peers: A Systematic Literature Review. Borderline Personality Disorder and Identity Problems.