Identity vs role confusion on Adolescence

Erikson's psychosocial theory essentially states that each person experiences eight “psychosocial crises” which help to define his or her growth and personality. These stages are experienced in a fixed sequence but timings vary from person to person.

Crisis stages are driven by physical and sexual growth, which then prompts the life issues which create the crises. While passing through each crisis there are two opposing dispositions that a person must find a healthy balance between in order to successfully pass through referred to as syntonic and dystonic. For example a person must have “trust” in people and themselves but at the same time have a certain level of “mistrust” so as not to come off as being naïve and easily being taken advantage of. Successful balanced outcomes were called “basic virtues” or “basic strengths” by Erikson. Although each of these stages encompasses the hope of a person developing into a decent human being, these developments are not clear-cut or irreversible. When a person “unsuccessfully” passes through a stage they develop a tendency towards either the syntonic ( the first disposition) or dystonic ( the second disposition), which then becomes a behavioral tendency or mental problem. Erikson called an extreme tendency towards the syntonic a “maladaption” and an extreme tendency towards the dystonic a “malignancy”. For example a maladaption of intimacy can lead to promiscuity and a malignancy of isolation could lead to exclusivity.

12 to 18 Years

Up to this stage, according to Erikson, development mostly depends upon what is done to us. From here on out, development depends primarily upon what we do. And while adolescence is a stage at which we are neither a child nor an adult, life is definitely getting more complex as we attempt to find our own identity, struggle with social interactions, and grapple with moral issues.

Our task is to discover who we are as individuals separate from our family of origin and as members of a wider society. Unfortunately for those around us, in this process many of us go into a period of withdrawing from responsibilities, which Erikson called a "moratorium." And if we are unsuccessful in navigating this stage, we will experience role confusion and upheaval.

While Erikson does not deny this aspect of adolescence, he points out that there are other problems as well. The adolescent matures mentally as well as physiologically and, in addition to the new feelings, sensations and desires he experiences as a result of changes in his body, he develops a multitude of new ways of looking at and thinking about the world. Among other things, those in adolescence can now think about other people's thinking and wonder about what other people think of them. They can also conceive of ideal families, religions and societies which they than compare with the imperfect families, religions and societies of their own experience. Finally, adolescents become capable of constructing theories and philosophies designed to bring all the varied and conflicting aspects of society into a working, harmonious and peaceful ...