IDENTITY FORMATION

IDENTITY Identity - The distinct personality of an individual regarded as A persisting entity; "you can lose your identity when you join the army". In philosophy, identity, from Latin: identitas (“sameness”), is the relation each thing bears just to itself. The concept of sameness has given rise to the general concept of identity, as in personal identity and social identity.

Eric Erikson, a prominent researcher on adolescence, described the task of identity formation as one of making choices by exploring alternatives and committing to roles. As one moves through adolescence, if these values, beliefs, goals, and practices are no longer appropriate, the individual can engage in a task of identity redefinition and refinement. Self-identity is clearly not stable, but is instead an ongoing process of self-reflection and change as one move through life.

Identity achievement: are individuals who have experienced a decision-making period and are pursuing self-chosen occupation and ideological goals Foreclosure: are persons who are also committed to occupational and ideological positions, but these have been parentally chosen rather than self-chosen. They show little or no evidence of "crisis." Identity Diffusions: are young people who have no set occupational or ideological direction, regardless of whether or not they may have experienced a decision- making period. Moratorium: are individuals who are currently struggling with occupational and/or ideological issues; they are in an identity crisis.

Self-Concept Self-concept is a multi-dimensional construct that refers to an individual's perception of "self" in relation to any number of characteristics, such as academics ,gender roles and sexuality, racial identity, and many others.

Self-Assessment Self-assessment is the first step of the career planning process. It is the process of gathering information about yourself in order to make an informed career decision. A self-assessment should include a look at the following: values, interests, personality, and skills.

Self-Schema A schema is a cognitive framework or concept that helps organize and interpret information. Schemas can be useful, because they allow us to take shortcuts in interpreting a vast amount of information. However, these mental frameworks also cause us to exclude pertinent information in favor of information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs and ideas. Schemas can contribute to stereotypes and make it difficult to retain new information that does not conform to our established schemas.

Self-Esteem The term self-esteem comes from a Greek word meaning "reverence for self“. The "self" part of self-esteem pertains to the values, beliefs and attitudes that we hold about ourselves. The "esteem" part of self-esteem describes the value and worth that one gives oneself. The term self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall sense of self-worth or personal value. Self-esteem is often seen as a personality trait, which means that it tends to be stable and enduring. Self-esteem can involve a variety of beliefs about the self, such as the appraisal of one's own appearance, beliefs, emotions and behaviors.

Self-Confidence Self-confidence is the expected probability that a person will achieve a goal in a certain situation. Self-confidence is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits. Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. Perception is reality - the more self-confidence you have, the more likely it is you’ll succeed.

Human Dynamics Human Dynamics comprises the actions and interactions of personal, interpersonal, and social/contextual factors and their effects on behavioral outcomes. Human Dynamics are influenced by factors such as economics, religion, politics, and culture. A pivotal work describing human functioning that will impact management, education, and families. Human Dynamics is a systemic approach to the complexities and wonders of how we process information, learn, communicate, maintain well-being, respond to stress, and develop as unique human beings, individually and collectively.

Human Dynamics is identifies fundamental distinctions in human functioning that cross age, culture, race, and gender. When the differences are recognized and understood, people are better able to appreciate their diverse ways of functioning, and to relate, manage, parent and teach in ways that accommodate the differences, enabling all to function at their individual and collective best.

To know someone's personality dynamic, therefore is to know a great deal about that person. Each person constitutes a whole system, which might be illustrated this way: