Personality Development

Ms. Erika Mae Ignacio

CH 2: SELF-DISCOVERY AND IDENTITY

WHO AM I?

Self-discovery is an essential personal task.

It is a keystone to personal development.

Knowing who you are forms building blocks to become the person you want
to be or you are meant to be

UNDERSTANDING THE MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESCENCE

Adolescence
• 15 to 21 years old
• A crucial period in the development of an individual
• It marks the major transitional stage that bridge childhood to adulthood
• A time of full excitement and challenges
• A major hallmark is the quest for IDENTITY AND INDIVIDUALITY
•
Adolescence
“What do I want to be in the future?
“What course should I take?“
“What job will fulfill me?”
“Should I study abroad?”
“Am I ready to leave home?”

CHANGES AND TRANSITIONS

Physiological
• Physiological Most changes occur from 12 to 14 years old
• Secretion of hormones by the endocrine glands
• Hormones enable organs and tissues to perform their respective functions
• Sexual maturation signals reproductive readiness

Physical
• Major growth spurt sets during middle of adolescence
• Continuous gain in weight and height
• Body mass increases, body hair continues to grow, boy’s voice becomes
deeper, girl’s body become more developed
• Self-consciousness starts to peak

Psychological
• Awkward feeling of recognizing the changes happening with your body
• More concerned with body image
• Make specific preferences on how to present yourself
• Attempt to help set a specific identity

How to deal with body issues

1. Prioritize health over beauty
2. Get help for a healthy body
3. Avoid being critical of how you look
4. BE YOURSELF. Accept that God-given gifts you have
5. Look inside yourself and be your own inspiration
6. Love yourself
7. Appreciate your beauty and others’ beauty, inside and out

Self-identity
• The distinctive characteristics of an individual
• In psychology, it is significantly related to one’s overall self-evaluation
(self-esteem) and sense of individuality
• Adolescence is the point in life when you ask who you are
• It requires a personal knowledge of your qualities that help define you

Erikson’s Self-identity
• Adolescence gives new and challenging experiences that may pose
some struggles as you balance things
• Successfully navigating through life experiences leads you to a clear
understanding of your identity and individuality
• Knowing clearly who you are allows you to make better choices in life,
engage with others and establish health relationships

Identity vs Confusion
• A clear personal identity sets the ground of becoming the person you
want to be in the future
• Know what you want, strengths that will build your competence,
weaknesses you need to overcome and your interests that will help career
plans

Identity Confusion
• You become uncertain about yourself or you do not know what to do
• It happens when there is restriction or lack of exploration and identification
of one’s characteristics, values and direction

Identity Crisis
• A sense that you do not know who you re
• A state of confusion that makes it hard for you to know what you want or
make choices
• Having too much conformity with peers
• Get low self-esteem or develop exaggerated outlook of yourself
• Awful feeling that you don’t know your place or where you fit best

Identity Achievement
• An essential that you continuously reflect to think about yourself--- what
you like, want, interests, what you can do, what you need to develop
• Participating in personal and career development programs help in
knowing or understanding yourself

James Marcia’s Development of Self-identity

• Identity: “an internal, self-constructed, dynamic organization of drives,
abilities, beliefs and individual history”
• Key elements in achieving maturity:
– Crisis which presents an opportunity to explore
– Commitment which keeps you faithful in your beliefs and values, as
well as focus on identified goals, plans and chosen career

Four Statuses of Youth’s Identity Issues

1. Identity diffused
– Personal identity is unclear
– No focus or occupational direction yet
2. Foreclosed
– Little or no evidence of identity crisis
– You have or not personally explored or reflected things about you
– Choices have been parentally chosen rather self-chosen
3. Moratorium
– Going through identity crisis
– Currently struggling as you explore areas that will help you know you
are and establish authentic personal identity
– Exploring roles and testing beliefs, and flexible in you values
– Example: Fresh graduates
4. Identity Achieved
– Clearly understands who you are and what you want
 – You know what to pursue in life
– Establish goals to direct your plans in the right direction
– Make an effort to develop certain academic skills
– Example: You know the exact career you want

James Marcia’s Development of Self-identity

• The identity statuses identified are not sequential
• Moratorium is necessary to achieve a clear and mature identity
• Identity diffused need to start getting actively involved in searching and
discovering themselves
• Foreclosed adolescents may be at risj of restricting development
• It is important to engage in personal searching, reflection of personal
interests and values and beliefs

Social Interests, emotional stability and maturity level

• There is a need to connect, a strong desire to be accepted or feel that
you “fit in” while in the process of developing your own identity and
uniqueness
• Adolescents form many relationships at this stage
• Interests are also expanding
• A need for maturity to be able to handle emotions well, express emotional
emotional reactions positively and communicate feelings clearly for
smooth interpersonal relationships

Maturity and emotional stability are important when dealing with people and
handling stress

Activity

DRAW YOUR OWN SOCIAL SPHERE

• Where do you place the people in your life? Write the initials of the name
of the people close to you.
• Next to their respective initials, indicate your rating in terms of their
importance or influence to you
•
Rating
5= Very influential; I follow what this persona says most of the time; ‘I am who I
am’ because of this person
4= Influential; his/her opinion/feeling matters to me
3= Somewhat influential; I seek this person’s opinion/advice sometimes
2= Not so influential; I am no affected by how this person perceives me or his
opinion of me
1= This person is not influential at all

Freedom and Independence

• At this stage, there is a desire for freedom and independence which
sometimes results in conflicts with parents and authorities
• Independence is one of the hallmarks of maturity when carried out
positively and with great sense of responsibility
• You feel a great sense of power with your capabilities

How to Independent?
1. Be responsible
– Learn to manage time and money
– Develop planning skills
2. Know your limitations
3. Remain respectful of adults and authorities
4. Believe in yourself

Career Interests and Inclinations

• The middle and late adolescence period is a preparation for adult roles
• Career exploration is one prominent task: What do you want to become?
• Knowing what your interests are and the type of things you like or enjoy
doing will give you an idea of the kind of career or vocation you want to
get into or may fit you.

• What activities are interesting for you?

• In your free time, what do you usually do?
• In school, what subjects are you good at?
• Have you put any thought in your future career?
• Given your interests, what future career do you think would suit you?