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CHAPTER 11

The Self, Identity, and Personality

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The Self

Self-understanding Self: All characteristics of a person

Self-understanding, self-esteem, self-concept

Identity: Who a person is, representing a synthesis of self-understanding

Personality: Individuals’ enduring personal characteristics

When does self-understanding Begin? Rebecca Elder

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The Self

Self-understanding Middle and Late Childhood

Increased awareness of social standing Self-understanding becomes more complex Understanding others

Realize others have access to more information Assume others understand them, too.

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The Self

Self-understanding Perspective-taking: Ability to assume

another’s perspective and understand his or her thoughts and feelings Important in children developing prosocial and

antisocial attitudes and behaviors Affects peer status and quality of friendships

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The Self

Middle and Late Childhood Self-understanding: five key changes

Internal characteristics emphasized More referencing in social descriptions More use of social comparisons Distinguish between real self and ideal self Realistic in self-evaluations

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Carl Rogers and Self-Concept

Real self - one’s perception of actual characteristics, traits, and abilities

Ideal self – what one should or would like to be

IDEALSELF

REALSELF

Match = Harmony

IDEALSELF

REALSELF

Mismatch = Anxiety

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The Self

Self-esteem and self-concept Self-esteem: Self-worth, self-image

Refers to global self-evaluation

Self-concept: Domain-specific evaluations of self

Distinct: not really interchangeable

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The Self

Issues in self-esteem Modest correlation with school performance Linked to job performance; correlations vary Related to perceived physical appearance

across life-span Depression lowers high self-esteem Self-esteem in adolescence appears linked to

adjustment and competencies in adulthood

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Erikson’s Life-Span Development Theory

Development proceeds in stages

Each stage is characterized by a psychosocial challenge or crisis

Stages reflect the motivation of the individual

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Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Human Development

1 - Trust vs. mistrust

2 - Autonomy vs. shame and doubt

3 - Initiative vs. guilt

4 - Industry vs. inferiority

5 - Identity vs. identity confusion

6 - Intimacy vs. isolation

7 - Generativity vs. stagnation

8 - Integrity vs. despair

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Erikson’s Human Development Stages

1 - Trust vs. Mistrust

0–1 years

2 - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt 1–3 years

3 - Initiative vs. Guilt3–5 years

Developed through consistent love and support

Independence fostered by support and encouragement

Developed by exploring and accepting challenges

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Erikson’s Human Development Stages

4 - Industry vs. Inferiority6 years–puberty

5 - Identity vs. Role ConfusionAdolescence

6 - Intimacy vs. IsolationEarly adult years

Mastery comes from success and recognition

Exploration of different paths to attain a healthy identity

Form positive, close relationships with others

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Erikson’s Human Development Stages

7 - Generativity vs. StagnationMiddle Adulthood

8 - Integrity vs. DespairLate Adulthood

Transmitting something positive to the next generation

Life review and retrospective evaluation of one’s past

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Self-Concept and Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is the affective or emotional reaction to one’s self-concept.

Self-concept is a cognitive appraisal of our social, physical, and academic competence.

CognitiveAcademic Social Physical

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The Self

Developmental changes in self-esteem Concern today: Unmerited praise as child

linked to inflated self-esteem in college students; difficulty handling competition and criticism

Adulthood Results vary on self-esteem decreasing Individual coping skills affects perceptions of changes,

events; social context matters

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Strategies for Erikson’s Stages of Development

Initiative Encourage social play Have children assume responsibility Structure assignments for success

Industry Nourish motivation for mastery Be tolerant of honest mistakes

Identity Recognize that identity is multidimensional Encourage independent thinking Stimulate students to examine different

perspectives

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Identity

Developmental changes Identity statuses by Marcia

Crisis: Period for exploring alternative identities Commitment: Personal investment in identity Young adolescents primarily in statuses of diffusion,

foreclosure, or moratorium Handouts

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Figure 11.6 - Marcia’s Identity Statuses

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Ethnic Identity …

“is an enduring aspect of the self that includes a sense of membership in an ethnic group,

along with the attitudes and feeling related to that membership” (Phinney, 2006) (as cited in

Santrock, 2009).

Positive ethnic identity Higher school engagement Lower aggression good coping

Affected by higher education

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Personality

Definition: Enduring personal characteristics

Trait theories Traits: Ways to describe a person by

behaviors Basic units/building blocks of personality

Five big factors: OCEAN Led to advancements in assessing personality Most believe personality is result of trait-situation

interaction

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Figure 11.7 - Big Five Factors of Personality

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Personality

Views on adult personality development Stage crisis view: Erikson, Levinson

Levinson’s seasons of a man’s life Stage and transitions occur in life span Tasks/crisis in each stage shape personality Levinson’s midlife crisis in 40s: try to cope with

gap between past and future Vaillant’s Grant Study

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Early Adult Transition: 17 to 22 Entry life structure for early adulthood: 22 to 28 Age 30 transition: 28 to 33 Culminating life structure for early adulthood: 33 to 40

Middle Adult Transition: ages 40 to 45 Entry life structure for middle adulthood: 45 to 50 Age 50 transition: 50 to 55 Culminating life structure for middle adulthood: 55 to 60 Era of late adulthood: 60 to ?

Late Adult Transition: 60 to 65

Levinson’s Seasons of Life

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Personality

Individual variations Individuals have different experiences,

ways of adapting, expectations, perceptions of needs, and giving meaning to one’s life Stage theories stress stage crises too much Too much emphasis on midlife crisis Great variation in how individuals experience stages

(coping abilities, emotions)

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Personality

Life events approach Alternative to stage approach Contemporary life-events approach

How a life event influences individual’s development depends on The life event Individual’s adaptation to the life event Life-stage context Sociohistorical context