Identity Development Quiz

Identity Development Quiz

Check your understanding after completing the required readings and watching the narrated presentations.

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Identity Development Theories

An individual's identity is composed of their goals, values, and beliefs. This identity development is shaped by both personal and social factors, such as role models, parents, and friends. Adolescence is a significant period for identity formation as it is when cognitive development enables the creation of a "theory of self" (Elkind, 1998). Identity formation involves exploring choices and making a commitment to a chosen option. Without a strong sense of identity, individuals may experience confusion, leading to a lack of clarity about their self and role in life. Thus, developing one's identity is important for self-awareness and societal engagement.

Erik Erikson

James Marcia

Ruthellen Josselson

Carol Gilligan

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question 1

Jason, age 17, recently graduated from high school and is taking a gap year. When he returns home from his gap year abroad, he will decide whether or not to attend college and will make decisions about career and family. Jason's current status is identity:

achievement

moratorium

diffusion

foreclosure

20/100

Correct!

Moratorium is a state in which adolescents are actively exploring options but have not yet made a commitment.

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20/100

question 2

According to Erikson, people in their late teens usually struggle with which of the following?

autonomy vs. shame and doubt

intimacy vs. isolation

generativity vs. stagnation

identity vs. role confusion

40/100

Correct!

This is what he refered to as "identity crisis." Adolescents in their late teens and early 20s struggle with discovering their identity. As they begin to venture into the world, they struggle with who they are or want to be and what their purpose is in society.

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40/100

question 3

According to Erikson, which of the following choices best describes the rationale for adolescents trying out different "selves?"

to establish parent/peer relationships

to establish autonomy

to develop a capacity for intimacy

to establish an identity

60/100

Correct!

In the adolescent stage, Erikson believed that teens experience issues associated with identity vs. role confusion. He stated that it was normal for adolescents to try different roles in their attempt to resolve this crisis/issue. In this process, the teen develops their sense of self.

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60/100

question 4

Which theorist describes four paths that women take in their identiy development?

Ruthellen Josselson

Erik Erikson

Carol Gilligan

James Marcia

80/100

Correct!

For her doctoral dissertation, Josselson inetrviewed women and developed these four groups based on their paths: Guardians, Pathfinders, Drifters and Searchers.

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80/100

Completed!

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