Slide 1 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. A Topical Approach to Life-Span Development 6e John W. Santrock Chapter Eleven: The Self, Identity, and Personality

Slide 2 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Self Self-esteem and self-concept –Self-esteem: Self-worth, self-image Refers to global self-evaluation –Self-concept: Domain-specific evaluations of self Academic, athletic, appearance –Distinct: not really interchangeable

Slide 3 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Self Issues in self-esteem –Positively related to Happiness –Modest correlation with school performance –Linked to job performance; correlations vary –Related to perceived physical appearance across life-span –Depression is linked to self-esteem –Self-esteem in adolescence appears linked to adjustment and competence in adulthood

Slide 4 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Figure Self-Esteem Across the Lifespan

Slide 5 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Self Developmental changes in self-esteem –Childhood and adolescence Self-evaluation accuracy increases across elementary school years; more realistic Majority of adolescents have positive self-image cross- culturally Gender differences in self-esteem emerge by early adolescence

Slide 6 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Self Developmental changes in self-esteem –Concern today: growing up receiving empty praise linked to inflated self-esteem in college students; difficulty handling competition and criticism –Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can’t Read, Write, or Add (Sykes, 1995). Unmerited praise

Slide 7 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Self Developmental changes in self-esteem –Adulthood: Older adults Results vary on self-esteem decreasing –Individual coping skills affects perceptions of changes, events; –Emotion-related goals increase –Health evaluation based on peer comparisons Low self-esteem linked to being widowed or institutionalized; experiencing physical decline/impairment; low religious commitment

Slide 8 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Self Strategies for increasing self-esteem –Identify causes of low self-esteem and the domains of competence important to the self –Provide/Seek emotional support, social approval –Develop self-confidence and take the initiative –Achieve –Develop coping skills

Slide 9 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Identity What is identity? –A self-portrait composed of many pieces Vocational/career, political, religious Relationship, achievement/intellectual Cultural/ethnic, sexual, physical Personality and interests

Slide 10 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Identity Erikson’s view –a key aspect of adolescent development –Identity versus identity confusion Identity -- when various roles are explored and a positive identity is achieved. –Psychosocial moratorium Erikson’s term for the gap between childhood security and adult autonomy that adolescents experience as part of their identity exploration.

Slide 11 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Identity Contemporary thoughts on identity – A lengthy process and occurs gradually –This extraordinarily complex process neither begins nor ends with adolescence. –Years of physical, cognitive, socioemotional development can be merged into one path –At the bare minimum, identity formation involves a commitment to a vocational direction, an ideological stance, and a sexual orientation.

Slide 12 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Identity Developmental changes –Identity development begins in infancy with the appearance of attachment, the development of the sense of self, and the emergence of independence in infancy. –The process reaches its final phase with a life review and integration in old age. –It becomes integrated with physical, cognitive, and emotional maturity during adolescence.

Slide 13 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Identity Identity statuses by Marcia Determines by the existence or extent of their crisis or commitment Crisis: Period for exploring alternative identities Commitment: Personal investment in identity Young adolescents primarily in statuses of diffusion, foreclosure, or moratorium

Slide 14 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Figure Marcia’s Identity Statuses