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Application of Erikson's Stages of Devlopment

Stephen, the child of an acquaintance, is contemplating whether to attend college and pursue a law degree or work as a mechanic after graduating from high school. At the age of 14, Stephen is in the midst of the adolescent stage. On the personal level, Stephen is torn between his twin interests of public speaking and his love of cars. An active participant in his school's debate team, Stephen has a strong interest in going to law school. However, he is deterred by the number of years that are required for him to complete the law degree. Furthermore, because of his passion for cars, Stephen feels that being a mechanic would enable him to work in an area of his interest as soon as he leaves school.

Based on Stephen's current thought processes about his future, it is evident that he has entered Erikson's (1950, 1968) fifth stage of "identity versus identity confusion" (cited in Berk, 2001, p. 390). In his process of considering his future options after graduating from high school, Stephen is attempting to define his identity by critically examining his values, goals and interests. The challenges of establishing an identity is one of the key psychosocial issues confronted by adolescents (Huebner, 2000; American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry [AACAP], 1997).

At this juncture, Stephen's identity status can be considered to be at a moratorium. As identified by Marcia (1980), there are four principal identity statuses: "identity achievement," "moratorium," "identity foreclosure," and "identity diffusion" (qtd. in Berk, 2001, p. 392). Adolescents who have committed themselves to specific goals that cohere with their psychological well-being are considered to have achieved their identity. Identity-foreclosed adolescents have simply foregone their decision-making processes to comply with expectations of authority figures. Identity-diffused adolescents who do not possess firm values and beliefs do not have a sense...

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Application of Erikson's Stages of Devlopment. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 04:48, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1687675.html