Marcia on Identity Status

In the 60's, James Marcia took Erikson’s theory of identity development and, with a primary focus on adolescent development, expanded it into a theory of identity statuses. Addressing Erikson’s notion of identity crisis, Marcia posited that the adolescent stage consists neither of identity resolution nor identity confusion, but rather the degree to which one has explored and committed to an identity in a variety of life domains from vocation, religion, relational choices, gender roles, and so forth. Exploration can be defined as “problem-solving behaviour aimed at eliciting information about oneself or one’s environment in order to make a decision about an important life choice” (Grotevant, 1987, p. 204). Commitment represents the adherence to a specific set of goals, values, and beliefs. Thus, exploration is the sorting through multiple alternatives, whereas commitment is the act of choosing one or more alternatives and following through with them. By bifurcating both exploration and commitment into high and low levels and juxtaposing each level of one with each level of the other, Marcia derived four independent identity statuses with distinct personality characteristics.

Marcia defined identity as “an internal, self-constructed, dynamic organization of drives, abilities, beliefs and individual history” (1967, p. 119). Marcia argued that an adolescent’s sense of identity is determined largely by the exploration and commitments made regarding certain personal and social traits – i.e. how much one has made certain choices, and how much one displays a commitment to those choices. According to Marcia, identity is achieved when a commitment is reached following a period of exploration. Because commitment represents the adoption of a set of ideals, it can be said to imbue the individual with a sense of fidelity, or purpose and continuity, and this sense of fidelity may alleviate the uncertainty and disorientation that accompany identity confusion.

Do you agree that an identity crisis is solved when one is able to reach a commitment to goals, values and beliefs after a time of exploration? What helped during your own exploration as an adolescence? How can parents, guardians, teachers and psychotherapists help adolescents during this time of identity formation?

References:

Kroger, J., & Marcia, J. E. (2011). The identity statuses: Origins, meanings, and interpretations. In S. J. Schwartz, K. Luyckx, & V. L. Vignoles (Eds.), Handbook of Identity Theory and Research (Vol. 1). New York, NY: Springer.

Marcia, J. E. (1967). Ego identity status: Relationship to change in self-esteem, “general maladjustment,” and authoritarianism. Journal of Personality, 35, 118-133.

Marcia, J. E. (1988). Common processes underlying ego identity, cognitive/moral development, and individuation. In D. K. Lapsley & F. C. Power (Eds.), Self, Ego and Identity: Integrative Approaches (pp. 211-266). New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.

Erikson on Identity Development

Heavily influenced by Freudian theory, German psychoanalyst Erikson explored three aspects of identity: the ego identity (self); personal identity (personal idiosyncrasies that distinguish a person from another); and social/cultural identity (collection of social roles a person plays). Erikson’s theory of identity development considers the impact of external factors, parents and society on personality development from childhood to adulthood. According to Erikson, every individual passes through eight developmental stages where mastery of a stage is not required to move into the next stage.

Erikson proposed that before the onset of adolescence, development is dependent on factors outside the control of the child (i.e. biological, environmental and parental influence). However, during the period of adolescence, development becomes increasingly dependent on individual factors. Characterized by the fidelity stage of identity versus role confusion, an adolescence must struggle to discover and find his/her own identity, while negotiating and struggling with social interactions and fitting in with society, and developing a sense of morality of right from wrong. Thus, adolescents are more likely to experiment with a variety of risky behaviours and activities.

Erikson is credited with coining the term identity crisis. According to Erikson, the adolescent reaches a crossroad where he/she needs to find reconciliation between ‘the person one has become’ and ‘the person society expects one to become’. Erikson saw youth as a time of radical change – “the great body changes accompanying puberty, the ability of the mind to search one’s own intentions and the intentions of others, the suddenly sharpened awareness of the roles society has offered for later life” (Gross, 1987, p. 39). Erikson argues that the study of identity was more important that the study of sexuality in Freud’s theories. If an adolescent fails to work on one’s own identity formation, it would result in role diffusion, alienation and a lasting sense of isolation and confusion, and the adolescent may indulge in self-destructive one-sided preoccupation or activity.

Did you ever feel the conflict between "who I am" vs "who I am expected to be" as an adolescent?

References: 

Erikson, E. (1964). Insight and Responsibility. New York, NY: Norton.

Erikson, E. (1968). Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York, NY: Norton.

Gross, F. L. (1987). Introducing Erik Erikson: An invitation to his thinking. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.