Identity versus Role Confusion

Running head: IDENTITY VERSUS ROLE CONFUSION 1
Identity versus Role Confusion
By (Student’s Name)
Institutional Affiliation

IDENTITY VERSUS ROLE CONFUSION 2
IDENTITY VERSUS ROLE CONFUSION
Introduction
Erikson developed psychosocial development theory which explains how human beings
develop before reaching maturity. In his theory, Erickson proposed that human beings evolve
through a series of eight steps in life. According to the psychologist, identity, selfhood,
independence, and self-worth of a child can either be developed in these stages or crushed
depending on how an individual can resolve issues present at each stage. The content of this
paper is, therefore, research on the fifth stage of Erickson's psychosocial development stages that
is identity versus role confusion. The article further analyses the stages with relation to
Bronfenbrenner theory of development.
Identity versus role confusion
According to Erickson, the fifth stages of psychosocial development is identity versus
role confusion. The psychologist explained in his school of thought that at the age of between 11
and 18 years, children undergo a transition from childhood to adulthood (Desai, 2018).
Following Erikson's writings, the stage can as well be referred to as adolescence stage. He
explains that at this stage, children become more independent in society and experiments with
various roles in the attempt to find possible selves (Sigelman & Rider, 2018). The main
objective of individuals at this stage is to become independent with a sense of stable ability.
Conversely, this stage may become challenging as confusion may set in as one tries to
find a stable self. Erikson also came up with smaller stages within this stage explaining what a
child must do to become an adult fully. At early adulthood, individuals must positively pass the
challenge of developing stable relationships with others.

IDENTITY VERSUS ROLE CONFUSION 3
Individuals at this stage are presented with the challenge of finding themselves. Different
unpredictable behaviors characterize adolescent behaviors. According to Erickson's
psychological development model, all these unpredictable behaviors are towards the
identification of one's self (Cherry, 2017). Based on other existing theories, a crisis occurs at this
stage which results in the various behaviors of individuals at this stage. This crisis comes in
when an individual believes and that which they have known for an extended period is
challenged by multiple values which force them to reevaluate themselves.
Therefore, at this points, individuals want more support as they are challenged by what
exists around them. To this manner, the existing evidence shows that the environment has a more
significant impact on individuals at this particular stage. Notably, to ideally find a personal
identity, family members and parents have a more substantial impact on helping individuals at
this age to identify themselves (Sigelman & Rider, 2018). This is because family members exert
an influence that helps individuals at this age to change their views on society as a whole and
themselves. Moreover, other external factors within an individual's surrounding such as friends,
school mates, society norms and existing trends in the society also help with self-identification at
the adolescent stage (Crocetti, 2017).
According to Erick as well as other scholars who came after him, at this stage, those
individuals who receive proper reinforcement and encouragement will always gain a sense of
self-independent, courageous, secure with the feeling of control. On the other hand, those
individuals who lack support and reinforcement remain unsure of themselves, insecure as well as
confused about who they are and who they will be in the future (Dunkel & Harbke, 2017).
Moreover, existing studies expanding on the Erikson's idea shows that resolving crisis related to
identity at this stage is to commit to a particular role and status. For instance, a specific career