Adolescence and Identity

Erik Erikson was one of the first psychologists to challenge the view that personality development stopped in childhood and believed that there is a fixed and pre-determined sequence of stage in human development throughout life.

He believed that our genetic makeup dictates a timetable of development and that social and psychology development adheres to this rule. He called these genetically determined series of stages psychosocial stages. These stages are universal, that is humans across cultures will go through these stages. However, he did accept that socio-cultural factors were important in determining how humans went through these stages.

Erikson suggested that there were eight psychosocial stages to be passed through and that each of these stages involved a crisis which was a struggle between two conflicting personality outcomes, one of which was positive and adaptive, the other negative and maladaptive. Erikson argued that healthy personal development may well involve both of these outcomes, but the positive, adaptive would outweigh the negative, maladaptive.

With adolescents, Erikson argued that the crisis at this stage involved the establishment of a sense of individual identity. Puberty involves physical and emotional changes and the adolescent needs to find their own niche within adult society. This can be quite a long and painful process, as the adolescent tries to develop a set of long term goals for the future.

In Western society, adolescence is seen as a period of respite, or ‘moratorium’ where the teenager is expected to start to behave in a more adult way, but without the responsibilities of being an adult.

last update April 5, 2003