Definition: identity formation has to do with the complex manner in which human beings

establish an unique view of self, self-concept, values and personality development. Identity
relates to our basic values that dictate the choices we make.
Goal:
- establish coherent views of self - normal human development
- Establishment of incoherent self + characterised by discontinuity or lack of inner
unity - abnormal
(Identity is who you are and what your values, commitments and beliefs are)
Factors affecting identity:
● Relationships people form (identity as a child, student, friend)
● External factors that a person has no control over (socio-cultural & economic
background)
● political opinions, moral attitudes, and religious beliefs, etc,.

First seen during early years of childhood: (3-7)

1. The child has developed a sense of who they are and who they want to be identified with.
2. This is due to the socialisation taking place and their developing sense of independence
which makes them want to do things their own way
3. Self understanding is limited to only defining oneself through physical characteristics
Ex: I have brown eyes and black hair
4. Children come to define themselves in terms of how they think their parents see them.

Middle and late childhood:(7-12)

1. Child is more likely to define themselves through internal characteristics
Ex: I am cool and popular
I feel proud when teachers appreciate me
2. Also includes social aspects of oneself with references to social groups
Ex: being a member of the schools theatre group
3. Self understanding also includes social comparison
Ex: I’m the best dancing in the class
4. Leads to establishing one’s differences from others as an individual

● Not sure but maybe add about moral development (Lawrence Kohlberg)
❖ Differentiating between wrong and right
❖ Thinking in terms of external authority
❖ Developing moral reasoning through a set of rules
❖ Moral thinking is inflexible

Adolescents: (13-18)
 1. more open to ‘trying on’ different behaviours and appearances to discover who they
are - likely to cycle through multiple different personalities
2. Cognitive- greater self awareness, greater awareness of other and their thoughts and
judgments -ability to think in an abstract manner- ability to consider multiple
possibilities at once
3. Differentiation - as they recognise the consequences of their behaviours on
themselves and others
4. Girls- most likely to enjoy high self-esteem with supportive friendships - someone
who can provide social + moral support - When they fail to win friends’ approval/
find someone with whom to share common activities and interests, suffer from low
self-esteem
Boys - more concerned with establishing and asserting their independence and
defining their relation to authority. As such, they are more likely to derive high
self-esteem from their ability to successfully influence their friends while the lack of
romantic competence, for example, failure to win or maintain the affection of
another or the same-sex , is the major contributor to low self-esteem in adolescent
boys.
5. Erik Erikson referred to life’s fifth psychosocial task as one of identity versus role
confusion when adolescents must work through the complexities of finding one’s
own identity-(Role confusion pertains to the inability to commit to one path.)
influenced by how they resolved all of the previous childhood psychosocial crises.
6. “Who am i” & “who i want to be”-Adolescents then go through a period of
experimentation before committing
7. Reconsider the values / ideology of their culture or parents (some don't)
8. Other teens develop identities that are in opposition to their parents but align with a
peer group (detachment process)

Identity confusion:
1. Adolescents who can't cope with the conflicting identities to develop a sense of self leads
to identity confusion.
2. This leads to individuals isolating themselves from peers and family
3. Lose their identity in a crowd

Treated like a child at the same time being expected to act like an adult

Adulthood:
Identity formation is most prominent during adolescence, but the process doesn’t stop after
the teen years. major life upheavals, such as divorce, retirement, or the death of a loved one,

often lead people to explore and redefine their identities.