Assignement 3 - assignment 3 PDF

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James Marcia’s theory of Identity Status Theory has played a major role in the psychology work especially in the adolescent's world. This has helped other psychologists to make decisions regarding adolescents and still is learned by psychologists today. James Marcia, Canadian developmental psychologist refined and extended Erikson’s model. His main focus was on adolescent development. Marcia supposedly said that the teen stage consists neither of identity resolution nor identity confusion, but rather the degree to which the teen has explored and committed to an identity in many of life domains like vocation, religion, relational choices, gender roles, and so on. Marcia’s theory of identity achievement has two parts crisis, this is a time when one’s values and choices are being evaluated again and the commitment of the teen. Marcia defined a crisis as a time of turmoil where old values or the choices are being examined over and over again. At the end of the outcome of a crisis, it leads to a commitment made to a certain role or value. The core idea is that determined by the personal and social ability to make choices. The work done in this criteria shows the choices made and the commitment towards it. The identity of the teen involves being able to adapt to 1) a sexual orientation, 2) a set of values and ideas and 3) a vocational direction. A well-developed identity of the teen gives on a sense of one’s strengths, weaknesses, and individual uniqueness. Someone with a less well-developed identity is not able to see his or her own weaknesses or strengths and that person does not have a complete self-awareness of oneself. To figure this out an experiment was conducted among the young age group. Question was asked to the participants and those involved: (1) had established a commitment to an occupation and ideology and (2) had experienced or were presently experiencing, a decision-making period (adolescent identity crisis). Marcia was able to develop a framework for thinking about identity in terms of four

identity statuses. These included the identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium and identity achievement (Learning Theories). An example of identity diffusion would be someone when there is not a commitment made in their life. This can be school, when there is no sense of choices or no not been made yet. The teen has no clue on why the education is being necessary for his or her life and just goes to school because he is being forced by his parents. The teen is having no commitments in life because his parents are rich and is able to provide for him all the time. This is an example of identity diffusion because according to Marcia, identity disclosure is “ the status in which the adolescent does not have a sense of having choices; he or she has not yet made (nor is attempting/willing to make) a commitment” (Learning Theories). Another example of identity foreclosure would be an example of a teen choosing between doctor. His or her parents are doctors and truly know it runs in the family and wants their daughter or son to be the same as them but the son has no interest in being a doctor and was but has no clue on what else to do with life. This is position in the teen's life to determine what he wants to do with his or her like. This is the crisis of the teen as he or she has always been around the umbrella of his or her parents and has no idea on what else is out there he might enjoy doing. This is an example of identity foreclosure as this is defined by Marcia as “the status in which the adolescent seems willing to commit to some relevant roles, values, or goals for the future. Adolescents in this stage have not experienced an identity crisis. They tend to conform to the expectations of others regarding their future” (Learning Theories). James Marcia has been influenced by many psychologists and his works are well known today by the psychologists. His theory known as the Identity Status theory is specifically based on

young people....