Identity vs Role Confusion

Who am I?  What career do I want?  What do I believe in?  How should I dress
today?  Whom will I hang out with?

adolescents explore their independence and develop a sense of self.

Successfully completing this stage leads to a strong sense of self that will
remain throughout life.

Teen behavior often seems unpredictable and impulsive, but all of this is part
of the process of finding a sense of personal identity. Parents and family
members continue to exert an influence on how teens feel about themselves,
but outside forces also become particularly important during this time.
Friends, social groups, schoolmates, societal trends, and even popular culture
all play a role in shaping and forming an identity.

Those who receive proper encouragement and reinforcement through

personal exploration will emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self
and a feeling of independence and control. Those who remain unsure of their
beliefs and desires will remain insecure and confused about themselves and
the future.

who they are by testing out different versions of themselves in different social
situations. Identity formation begins to develop as the adolescent explores
greater independence, testing limits, and making their own choices about a
career, values, beliefs, and goals. Self-confidence is gained through the
experiences of facing and overcoming these new challenges of life (Myers,
2014).
when an adolescent has been unable to manage these accomplishments, role
confusion occurs. With role confusion, “the individual experiences extreme
doubt regarding the meaning and purpose of their existence, leading to a
sense of loss and confusion”

purposely exceeding curfews, failing to complete homework or chores, or

dressing or acting in a way a parent or teacher disapproves of. During this
time, the parent or teacher may feel a lack of ability to control the adolescent
and a power struggle ensues. An adolescent may question a parent repeatedly
with “Why? Why? Why?”

fidelity, a psychological virtue characterized by the ability to relate to

others and form genuine relationships.1 This ability plays an important
role in the upcoming stage known as intimacy versus isolation.

These individuals are not sure who they are or what they like. They
tend to drift from one job or relationship to another, never really sure
what they want to do with their lives.

Intimacy vs Isolation
The major conflict at this stage of life centers on forming intimate,
loving relationships with other people. Success at this stage leads to
fulfilling relationships. Struggling at this stage, on the other hand, can
result in feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Erikson described intimate relationships as those characterized by

closeness, honesty, and love.
People who are successful in resolving the conflict of the intimacy
versus isolation stage have:

Close romantic relationships

Deep, meaningful connections
Enduring connections with other people
Positive relationships with family and friends
Strong relationships

Intimacy requires being able to share parts of yourself with others, as

well as the ability to listen to and support other people. These
relationships are reciprocal—you are sharing parts of yourself, and
others are sharing with you.

When this happens successfully, you gain the support, intimacy, and
companionship of another person. But sometimes things don't go so
smoothly. You might experience rejection or other responses that
cause you to withdraw. It might harm your confidence and self-esteem,
making you warier of putting yourself out there again in the future.
Isolation can happen for a number of reasons. Factors that may
increase your risk of becoming lonely or isolated include:

Childhood experiences including neglect or abuse

Divorce or death of a partner
Fear of commitment
Fear of intimacy
Inability to open up
Past relationships
Troubles with self-disclosure

Struggling in this stage of life can result in loneliness and isolation.

Adults who struggle with this stage experience:

Few or no friendships
Lack of intimacy
Lack of relationships
Poor romantic relationships
Weak social support

Loneliness and isolation can lead to a wide range of negative health

consequences including:2

Cardiovascular disease
Depression
Substance misuse
Stress
Suicide

Generativity vs Stagnation
Contributing to society and doing things to benefit future generations
are important needs at the generativity versus stagnation
Generativity refers to "making your mark" on the world by caring for
others as well as creating and accomplishing things that make the world
a better place.

Stagnation refers to the failure to find a way to contribute. These

individuals may feel disconnected or uninvolved with their community
and with society as a whole.

Those who are successful during this phase will feel that they are
contributing to the world by being active in their home and community.
Success leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment, while
failure results in shallow involvement in the world.
These individuals may feel disconnected or uninvolved with their
community and with society as a whole. Success in this stage will lead
to the virtue of care.
Integrity
During the integrity versus despair stage, people reflect back on the life
they have lived and come away with either a sense of fulfillment from a
life well lived or a sense of regret and despair over a life misspent.

Successfully resolving the crisis at this stage leads to the development

of what Erikson referred to as ego integrity. People are able to look
back at their life with a sense of contentment and face the end of life
with a sense of wisdom and no regrets.2

Erikson defined this wisdom as an "informed and detached concern

with life itself even in the face of death itself."

Those who feel proud of their accomplishments will feel a sense of

integrity. Successfully completing this phase means looking back with
few regrets and a general feeling of satisfaction. These individuals will
attain wisdom, even when confronting death.2
Those who are unsuccessful during this phase will feel that their life has
been wasted and will experience many regrets. The individual will be
left with feelings of bitterness and despair.