2. Erikson and Marcia Research Project
Katy Offen
Claire Schwartz

3. ― Erik Erikson, Identity, Youth and Crisis (1968)
“We know who we are only when we know who we are not and often only when we know whom we are against.”
 ― Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
“To have the courage of one’s diversity is a sign of wholeness in individuals and in civilization.”
― Erik Erikson, Identity, Youth and Crisis (1968)

4. Erik Erikson - Background
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, June 15th, 1902
Biological father left before Erikson was born (extramarital union)
…so he was adopted by his Jewish Step-father – name became Erik Homberger
Erikson did not look Jewish – appeared Danish
Teased by Jewish Community – causing Erikson to question who he was
As a teenager, confused about future:
Entered into Moratorium: period where one is confused about who they are, so they try new things to find themselves

5. Erik Erikson - Background
Studied with Anna Freud on psychoanalysis
Was even one of her subjects
Hitler  forced Erikson and family to leave Germany
Came to America, studied different children in different cultural contexts
Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota
University of California
Book “Childhood and Society”
Maps out eight stages in relation to different cultures
Something that Freud did not do!

6. Erikson’s Stage Theory vs Freud’s
Believed that Personality development did not just come from psychosexual stages and body zones
Tries to go away from body zones and into more through into children’s relationships
What’s the relationship between the child and the Social World?
Limited
Too specific – Body Zones
Based on psychosexual stages
Some discussion on interaction between child and others
At each stage of freud  points out that there is a ego mode as well as body zone (giving Freud generality)
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

7. “Thus, development is a continuous process with each phase equally a part of the continuum, since every phase finds its antecedents in previous phases and its ultimate solution in those subsequent to it.
Emphasis on the continuous process- being a life cycle
Move from stages on individual is biologically, psychologically, and socially ready
ꟷ Maier (1969), Three Theories of Child Development

8. Stages Oral Stage Body zone: mouth, grows to eyes, feelings
Incorporation
Mistrust vs Trust
Hope
2. The Anal Stage (2-3)
Maturation of the nervous system
Sense of Autonomy
3. The Phallic/ Oepidul Stage (3-6)
Genital Zone
Intrusion
Initiative vs Guilt
4. The Latency Stage (6-11)
Industry vs inferiority
Competence
pIncorporation – mode of activity for babies – passive yet eager to take in
Trust – sense that others are reliable and predictable
Hope – if infants emerge form stage with a good balance of trust and mistrust, hope is the expectations that despite frustrations and and disappointments, good things will happen in the future – ability to confront world and society
2. Child can now push away things, take or eliminate
Autonomy – exercising their will, comes from within – biological
Shame and Doubt – comes from an awareness of societies expectations
3. Genital – imagine themselves in adult positions
Intrusion – becoming daring competitive
Initiative – makes plan and sets goals, and tried to attain them
Guilt – keeping dangerous fantasies in check – self restriction – good in the sense that they don’t wanna fuck their parent
4. No body stage
Industry – forget hopes, focuses on learning skills
However develop feelings of inadequacy – failing in the classroom
Competence – success of intelligence and skill in tasks, without inferiority

9. Stages 5. Puberty – the Genital Stage Identity crisis
Identity vs role confusion
Fidelity
6. Young Adulthood
Not just about self definition anymore
Intimacy
Or = isolation
7. Adulthood
Generativity – can create children, and new ideas through work
Vs Self absorption and Stagnation
4. Old Age
Feeling of integrity in the face of dying
Accepting one’s life cycle and mistakes made
Reflection – makes wisdom
Fidelity – ones ability to keep their loyalties – especially on values and beliefs
Intimacy – only when identity has been achieved, can be in mutuality and harmony within another
Isolation – fail to attain genuine mutuality

10. Identity – Stage 5: Puberty
With Puberty – awakens this notion of identity consciousness
Being caring about what others think
Identity consciousness – becomes the new doubt
Doubt oneself
Erikson – quote from a western cowboy bar:
“I ain’t what I ought to be, I ain’t what I’m going to be, but I ain’t what I was.”
Confusion

11. Identity Not just simply “Who am I?”
But “what and in what context can I be and become?”
Identity is deeply connected to society and culture
Moratorium: period of time for an individual who is not ready to commit to an identity, to integrate themselves into adulthood

12. Negative Identity
*negative identity – instead of finding one’s true identity, they align themselves with specific groups that contrary to societies expectations and controversial!
Depends on what is currently happening in society
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

13. Why Adolescents?
Identity crisis come when the child meets the challenges of the adult world
Adolescents relate to peers as they go through this stage too
At the point where past and future beliefs try to synthesize

14. James Marcia - Background
BA from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio
PhD from Ohio State University
Previously taught at…
Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada
State University of New York in Buffalo, New York
Clinical and Developmental Psychologist

15. James Marcia - Background
Active in…
Clinical private practice
Clinical psychology supervision
Community consultation
International clinical-developmental research and teaching
Best known for…
Extensive research and writings on psychological development, with specific attention focused on adolescent psychosocial development and lifespan identity development

16. Relationship to Erikson
Erikson created a general outline of what we might expect in terms of psychosocial development at adolescence
Marcia elaborated on Erikson’s theories of identity development…
HOW???

17. Identity Formation Identity Achievement: there are two distinct parts contributing to the achievement of adolescent identity
Crisis:
the times during adolescence when the individual seems to be actively involved in choosing among alternative occupations and beliefs
Commitment:
the degree of personal investment the individual expresses in an occupation or belief

18. Four Stages: Identity Achievement Identity Moratorium
Identity Foreclosure
Identity Diffusion

19. Identity Achievement - IA
adopted their commitments on the basis of a thoughtful, exploration process, with identity-defining directions constructed on their own terms
generally more mature and have shown higher levels of moral reasoning, intimacy, ego development, self- esteem, personal autonomy, and more adaptive defence mechanisms
Identity Achievement - IA

20. Identity Moratorium - IM
non-committed in terms of key, identity- defining roles and values
in the process of exploring or “trying on” potential vocational roles and ideological values for fit
generally more mature and have shown higher levels of moral reasoning, intimacy, ego development, self-esteem, personal autonomy, and more adaptive defense mechanisms
highest levels of anxiety and openness to new experience
Identity Moratorium - IM

21. Identity Foreclosure - IF
equally committed to identity-defining roles and values, but no genuine exploration process was involved prior to commitment
assumed an identity based on their identifications with significant others, most commonly parents
highest levels of authoritarianism, use of an external locus of control, and normative approaches to personal problem solving and decision making

22. Identity Diffusion - ID
non-committed in terms of key, identity-defining roles and values; no exploring
rely more on non-adaptive defense mechanisms and have shown low levels of intimacy, self-esteem, personal autonomy, and ego development

23. IA & IM
high in identity status, will be less vulnerable in the face of self-esteem manipulation
IF & ID
low in identity status, will be more vulnerable in the face of self-esteem manipulation

24. IA IF IM ID highest low high lowest present in process absent
Overall Ego Identity
highest
low
high
lowest
Exploration of Alternatives
present
in process
absent
present or absent
Commitment
present but vague
Authoritarianism
lower
Concept Attainment (performing under stress)
Anxiety
Internalization
most
lesser
less
least
(M) Self-Esteem
(W)
higher
Locus of Control
more internal
external or internal
internal or external
more external
(M) Autonomy

25. New Millennium: the social conditions of choice, giving rise to the need for identity-defining decisions among adolescents and young adults
Marcia on Culture
North American adolescents: more defined by the ideological areas of occupation, religion, politics, and philosophy of life and the interpersonal areas of friendship, dating, sex roles, and recreation
Central European adolescents: more defined by the ideological areas of school, occupation, leisure time, parents, philosophy of life, friendship, personal characteristics, and intimate relationships
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

26. Nature vs Nurture Line
Marcia
Nature
Nurture
Erikson

27. Our study 2 middle Schools – One Public, One private (catholic)
Wanted to see which group had a better sense of identity, or what stages identity they were in
Could we see a pattern within these adolescents?
Would this pattern better able to help us as teachers with out future students?

28. Questionnaire 28 True or False “I” Statements 7 in each category
Moratorium
Achievement
Foreclosure
Diffusion
Subjects pick the whether the statement is true or not to them
Questionnaire
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29. Rules for Evaluating
Whatever group the child is in, is determined by the amount of true’s from a specific category
When a child has the same amount of T’s in 2 or more categories:
Child has some aspects of one group, and some of another
Child might be transitioning from one group to another
3. If a child has mostly false answers, we took a look at how many true’s were in each category. Usually, when a child identifies with nothing, they are expressing Identity Diffusion. Even though they may not have expressed that by answering our questions, it’s clear that they are confused about themselves one way or another.
TRANSITIONING - When switching from one stage to another, it requires re-questioning and rethinking identity, and this happens with time.

30. For the sake of it not being too complex – categorized transitioning at the group that is being transitioned to, because with time they will most likely be in that stage
Transitioning

31. Hypothesis:
We, the researchers, believe that boys in the eighth graders at the private school are going to have a better understanding of their identity in the middle school.
Boys, Private, and 8th Grade
Data
Compared: identity groupings between 3 separate groups (may do more later)
Girls vs Boys
Public vs Private
6th Grade vs 8th Grade

32. Girls vs Boys

33. Girls vs Boy – by School

34. Conclusions – Girls vs Boys
Girls were less variant than Boys
More Boys had Identity Achievement than Girls, however more Girls had aspects of IA/IM – suggesting that perhaps Girls may be faster at identity development
Interesting to see that less Girls and Boys at the private school have not achieved identity – what might this infer?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

35. Public vs Private
Public = 23 students
Private = 56 students

36. Public vs Private Conclusions
Public – More IA, but less IA/IM, more IM as well
Private – Less IA, but more IA/IM
Public Schools seem to have a wide range of identity categories
What could cause this?
Perhaps support that public schools may lack
Factors like more present bullying, teacher quality, and the general culture have an impact
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

37. 6th Graders vs 8th Graders
6th= 27students
8th= 52 students

38. 8th – way more IA, less IA/IM
Conclusions – 6th vs 8th
8th – way more IA, less IA/IM
6th – less IA, more IA/IM
It appears that with time, students develop their identity, and the older they get the closer they get to having achieved identity

39. Limits on Our Study No public School for 6th grade
Less subjects from public, more at private
Doesn’t provide most accurate sample
Evaluation – not always right
May not be accurate about whether they are transitioning or not
At the public school – many ESL students
Do they understand the questionnaire?
No public School for 6th grade

40. Was our hypothesis correct?
We were right thinking boys had better identity achievement
Somewhat Wrong – in thinking that Private would have more IA, but there is a bigger category of IA/IM
Students are not exposed to a diverse culture in private schools?
May do some more digging into this, such as how many siblings students have
We were right in thinking that 8th graders would have better identity achievement