Identity Stage of Development in Adolescents

The Crisis

• During this stage of development, adolescents ask the question, "Who am I?" To obtain a satisfactory answer, the adolescent must face a psychological crisis head-on. Erikson describes the crisis during this stage of life as "Identity vs. Role Confusion." The teenager must find an identity, or she will experience confusion about her role in society.

Identity

• Your identity is how you see yourself, and how you feel the rest of the world perceives you. During the adolescent stage of identity development, a lot of thought goes into your identity. An adolescent tries on different personas, listens to different kinds of music and hangs out with different types of people. The more the adolescent finds out what he likes and dislikes, the closer he gets to assuming an identity and maturing psychologically. But there's still an urge to fit in with others, so it can be confusing trying to find out who they really are, as opposed to who they want to be seen as.

Role Confusion

• Because it's so important for adolescents to fit in and have friends, there's much confusion about who they really are. If they don't succeed in discovering their true self, they run the risk of becoming isolated and confused. Role confusion is the negative side of the adolescent stage of identity development, and is the consequence for not discovering one's true identity. Role confusion can also be instigated by adults forcing adolescents into making an early commitment on an identity or by limiting the adolescent's identity exploration.

Rebellion

• During this period of exploration in the teen's identity, he may find himself rebelling against a variety of concepts or lifestyles as he tries on and rejects identities. It's also an important time for the adolescent to shed beliefs that no longer serve him. The adolescent may take on new political beliefs, self-expression techniques or career ideas. Many times, these new stances on life will inherently have an opposing side (such as politically or ethically) and will, in turn, force the teenager to rebel against the opposing idea to further solidify where he stands in his own identity.

The Moratorium

• Erikson believed that during this process of finding a new identity, many teenagers, especially those who live in middle- or upper-class situations, can afford to withdraw from normal responsibilities. This "moratorium," as Erikson referred to it, is a time when adolescents can focus more attention on who they are as a person, and less on what they do to earn money or accomplish academic goals.

Moving Into Young Adulthood

• If the adolescent successfully established an identity, or is at least comfortable with who he is as a person, he can begin moving into young adulthood at the appropriate time (usually around the age of 17 or 18). If, however, the crisis of "Identity vs. Role Confusion" was not addressed and the adolescent didn't find her identity, Erikson believed that she would carry this role confusion into young adulthood and even possibly for the rest of her life.