UNIT 2 SEXUAL MATURITY IN MALE AND

FEMALE, IDENTITY, SELF

CONCEPT AND SELF ESTEEM
Structure
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Objectives
2.2 Identity in Adolescence
2.2.1 Identity Crisis
2.2.2 Marcia’s Identity Statuses

2.3 Self Concept in Adolescence

2.4 Self- Esteem in Adolescence
2.4.1 Improving and Building of Self-esteem in Adolescence

2.5 Peer Group Relationship

2.5.1 Adolescence Peer Culture and School

2.6 Let Us Sum Up

2.7 Unit End Questions
2.8 Suggested Readings

2.0 INTRODUCTION
Identity is a new way of thinking about oneself that emerges during adolescence.
Identity involves a sense of self-unity, accompanied by a feeling that the self has
continuity over time. A firmly established identity also provides a sense of uniqueness
as a person. Identity development begins with children’s awareness that they are
separate and unique individuals.
Identity is multidimensional and may include physical and sexual identity, occupational
goals, religious beliefs, and ethnic background. Adolescents explore these dimensions,
and usually make commitments to aspects of their identity as they move into early
adulthood.
In Marcia’s model, identity involves the adoption of: 1) a sexual orientation, 2) a set
of values and ideals and 3) a vocational direction. A well-developed identity gives
on a sense of one’s strengths, weaknesses, and individual uniqueness. The self-
concept is the accumulation of knowledge about the self, such as beliefs regarding
personality traits, physical characteristics, abilities, values, goals, and roles. In
adolescence, the self-concept becomes more abstract, complex, and hierarchically
organised into cognitive mental representations or self-schemas, which direct the
processing of self-relevant information.
Self-esteem is the experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges
of life and of being worthy of happiness. Self esteem is the one important factor
required by anybody to succeed in life. It is said that if an individual build their self
esteem at their adolescent period it lasts all through their life.
Self esteem is all about how much people value them, the pride they feel in themselves, 17
Development During and how worthwhile they feel. Self-esteem is important because feeling good about
Adolescence
yourself can affect how you act. A person who has high self-esteem will friends
easily, is more in control of his or her behaviour, and will enjoy life more.
Peer relationships and friendships become more important as children grow into early
adolescents. Peer acceptance represents social status or popularity within a large
group, whereas friendships represent relationships based on mutual respect,
appreciation, and liking. Early adolescence is a time characterised by friendships that
share more common feelings and are more supportive than when children are younger.
Peer acceptance and membership in a clique is an important aspect of becoming an
adolescent. Peer crowds and cliques can have a profound influence on how adolescents
adjust to a school setting. Adolescents in school settings can become members of
various cliques each with unique norms and beliefs.

2.1 OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit, you will be able to:
 understand the importance of identity and identity crisis during adolescence;
 understand and discuss self-concept and self-esteem in adolescence;
 discuss how to improve and build self-esteem in adolescence; and
 describe peer group relationship and adolescence peer culture.

2.2 IDENTITY IN ADOLESCENCE

Identity is a new way of thinking about oneself that emerges during adolescence.
Identity involves a sense of self-unity, accompanied by a feeling that the self has
continuity over time. A firmly established identity also provides a sense of uniqueness
as a person. According to Erikson’s psychosocial model of development, identity
must be perceived by the individual, but also recognised and confirmed by others.
Thus, the process of establishing an identity involves “Integrating into a coherent
whole one’s past experiences, ongoing personal changes, and society’s demands and
expectations for one’s future”
The process of developing an identity begins with the infant’s discovery of self,
continues throughout childhood, and becomes the focus of adolescence. Erik Erikson,
identified the goal of adolescence as achieving a coherent identity and avoiding
identity confusion. Identity is multidimensional and may include physical and sexual
identity, occupational goals, religious beliefs, and ethnic background. Adolescents
explore these dimensions, and usually make commitments to aspects of their identity
as they move into early adulthood.
Identity development begins with children’s awareness that they are separate and
unique individuals. First indications of this awareness are evident in infancy when
children begin to recognise themselves. They recognise the reflected image as
themselves. Also, the words “me,” “I,” and “mine” emerge very early in children’s
language. These findings are consistent with Erikson’s psychosocial stage of autonomy
versus shame and doubt, when infants establish their identity as independent persons.
During childhood, self-awareness grows and changes. Preschoolers describe
themselves in terms of observable characteristics and behaviours, including physical
18
attributes (“I have brown eyes”), preferences (“I like to ride my bike”), and
competencies (“I can sing ‘Itsy, Bitsy Spider”’). Between ages six and twelve, Sexual Maturity in Male
and Female, Identity, Self
children begin to include less concrete aspects of the self in their descriptions. School- Concept and Self Esteem
aged children talk about their feelings (“I love my dog”) and how they fit into their
social world (“I’m the best fielder on my team”). During Erikson’s stage of initiative
versus guilt children explore their skills, abilities, and attitudes and incorporate the
information into their view of self.
The physical, cognitive, and social changes of adolescence allow the teenager to
develop the identity that will serve as a basis for their adult lives. During Erikson’s
stage of identity versus role confusion, adolescents’ description of self expands to
include personality traits (“I’m outgoing”) and attitudes (“I don’t like stuck-up
people”). The emergence of abstract reasoning abilities allows adolescents to think
about the future and experiment with different identities.
Identity development involves two steps. First, the adolescent must break away from
childhood beliefs to explore alternatives for identity in a particular area. Second, the
adolescent makes a commitment as to their individual identity in that area. Some
aspects of identity, especially among young adolescents, may be foreclosed. The
foreclosure status is when a commitment is made without exploring alternatives.
Identity achievement during adolescence serves as a basis for our adult expectations
and goals for us. As individuals enter early adulthood they use their current
understanding of whom they are to develop a lifespan construct which serves as the
link between the identity developed in adolescence and the adult self. The lifespan
construct is an integration of an individual’s past, present, and culture.

2.2.1 Identity Crisis

Are you unsure of your role in life? Do you feel like you don’t know the ‘real you’?
If you answer yes to the previous questions, you may be experiencing an identity
crisis. Theorist Erik Erikson coined the term identity crisis and believed that it was
one of the most important conflicts people face in development.
According to Erikson, an identity crisis is a time of intensive analysis and exploration
of different ways of looking at oneself. Erikson’s interest in identity began in childhood.
Erikson described identity as “a subjective sense as well as an observable quality of
personal sameness and continuity, paired with some belief in the sameness and
continuity of some shared world image. As a quality of unself-conscious living, this
can be gloriously obvious in a young person who has found himself as he has found
his communality. In him we see emerge a unique unification of what is irreversibly
given—that is, body type and temperament, giftedness and vulnerability, infantile
models and acquired ideals—with the open choices provided in available roles,
occupational possibilities, values offered, mentors met, friendships made, and first
sexual encounters.”
In Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, the emergence of an identity
crisis occurs during the teenage years in which people struggle between feelings of
identity versus role confusion. Researcher James Marcia (1966, 1976, 1980) has
expanded upon Erikson’s initial theory.
James Marcia argued that identity could be viewed as a structure of beliefs, abilities
and past experiences regarding the self. “The better developed this structure is, the
more individuals appear to be of their own strengths and weaknesses. The less
developed this structure is, the more confused individuals seem to be about their own
distinctiveness from others and the more they have to rely on external sources to 19
Development During evaluate themselves.” Identity is a dynamic, not static psychological structure. The
Adolescence
formation of identity in adolescence sets the stage for continual changes in the content
of identity through the adult years.

2.2.2 Marcia’s Identity Statuses

James Marcia refined and extended Erikson’s work on identity. In Marcia’s model,
identity involves the adoption of: 1) a sexual orientation, 2) a set of values and ideals
and 3) a vocational direction. A well-developed identity gives on a sense of one’s
strengths, weaknesses, and individual uniqueness. A person with a less well-developed
identity is not able to define his or her personal strengths and weaknesses, and does
not have a well articulated sense of self.
To better understand the identity formation process, Marcia conducted interviews
with young people. He asked whether the participants in his study.
1) had established a commitment to an occupation and ideology and
2) had experienced, or were presently experiencing, a decision-making period
(adolescent identity crisis).
Marcia developed a framework for thinking about identity in terms of four identity
statuses. It is important to note that these are NOT stages. Identity statuses should
not be viewed as substages in a sequential or linear process.
Foreclosure: These people have made commitments to an occupational future, but
have not experienced an identity crisis. They have conformed to the expectations of
others concerning their future. For example, an individual may have allowed a parent
to decide what career they will pursue. These individuals have not explored a range
of options (experience an “identity crisis”).
Diffusion: The young person has not made a commitment, and may or may not have
experienced an identity crisis. He or she appears to have given up any attempt to
make the commitments needed for developing a clear sense of identity as Marcia
defines the term.
Moratorium: Individuals in moratorium are actively exploring alternative commitments,
but have not yet made a decision. They are experiencing an identity crisis, but appear
to be moving forward toward identity formation, making commitments.
Achievement: The individual has experienced an identity crisis and has made
commitments necessary for building a sense of identity as described above.
The core idea is that one’s sense of identity is determined largely by the choices and
commitments made regarding certain personal and social traits. The work done in
this paradigm considers how much one has made certain choices, and how much he
or she displays a commitment to those choices.
Identity involves the adoption of:
1) a sexual orientation,
2) a set of values and ideals and
3) a vocational direction.
A well-developed identity gives on a sense of one’s strengths, weaknesses, and
individual uniqueness. A person with a less well-developed identity is not able to
define his or her personal strengths and weaknesses, and does not have a well
20 articulated sense of self.
 Sexual Maturity in Male
Self Assessment Questions and Female, Identity, Self
Concept and Self Esteem
1) Describe the following terms:
i) Identity self esteem
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ii) Peer relationship peer acceptance
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2) How does identity in adolescence develop? Trace from childhood
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3) Define identity achievement.
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4) What is the difference between Erikson’s identity crisis and Marcia’s Identity
crisis.
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5) Describe diffusion, moratorium and achievement.
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2.3 SELF CONCEPT IN ADOLESCENCE

The self-concept is the accumulation of knowledge about the self, such as beliefs
regarding personality traits, physical characteristics, abilities, values, goals, and roles.
In adolescence, the self-concept becomes more abstract, complex, and hierarchically
organised into cognitive mental representations or self-schemas, which direct the
processing of self-relevant information.
21
Development During The way in which one perceives oneself, which is considered as self concept, can
Adolescence
be divided into (i) Personal self concept and (ii) Social self concept.
Example of personal self concept can be for instance, facts or one’s own opinions
about oneself, such as “I have brown eyes” or “I am attractive, etc.
Social self concept example may include one’s perceptions about how one is regarded
by others: “people think I have a great sense of humor” as well as self-ideals that
is, what or how one would like to be: “I want to be a lawyer” or “I wish I were
thinner” etc. .
Self-concept refers to self-evaluation or self perception, and it represents the sum of
an individual’s beliefs about his or her own attributes. Self concept reflects how an
adolescent evaluates himself or herself in domains (or areas) in which he or she
considers success important. An adolescent can have a positive self-concept in some
domains and a negative self-concept in others.
Teachers, administrators, and parents commonly voice concerns about students’ self-
esteem. Its significance is often exaggerated to the extent that low self esteem is
viewed as the cause of all evil and high self-esteem as the cause of all good.
Promoting high self-concept is important because it relates to academic and life
success. Although the terms self-concept and self-esteem are often used
interchangeably, they represent different but related constructs. Self-concept refers to
a student’s perceptions of competence or adequacy in academic and nonacademic
(e.g., social, behavioural, and athletic) domains and is best represented by a profile
of self-perceptions across domains. Self-esteem is a student’s overall evaluation of
him- or herself, including feelings of general happiness and satisfaction.
Let us now see how self concept is associated with achievement, aggression, depression
etc.
Self-concept and academic achievement: Self-concept is frequently positively
correlated with academic performance, but it appears to be a consequence rather
than a cause of high achievement. This is a common assumption that an individuals
high academic performance results in their self concept. Whereas, the high academic
performance is the result of individual’s self concept.
Self-concept and aggression: Another popular assumption is that aggressive students
have low self-concept and use aggression as a means of raising it.
Self-concept, depression, and use of illegal substances: Low self-concept is often
considered a defining characteristic of depression, but the evidence for this is weak.
Similarly, although some evidence suggests that low self-concept may be a weak risk
factor for smoking in girls, the relationship between self-concept and the use of
alcohol and illegal drugs has little support.
An adolescent’s self-concept is dynamic, and causality is complex. That is, problems
and difficulties can lower self-concept; but low self-concept can also cause problems.
For adolescents, having a high academic self-concept is associated with positive
academic performance and having a high physical self-concept is related to increased
physical activity, for example.
Signs of Negative Self Concept in Adolescents
Several signs may indicate that an adolescent has a negative self-concept. These may
include one or more of the following:
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 Doing poorly in school; Sexual Maturity in Male
and Female, Identity, Self
 Having few friends; Concept and Self Esteem

 Putting down oneself and others;

 Rejecting compliments;
 Teasing others;
 Showing excessive amounts of anger;
 Being excessively jealous;
 Appearing conceited; or
 Hesitating to try new things.
Strategies that can be used to improve an adolescent’s self-concept include providing
praise for accomplishments, praising effort, working with the individual to encourage
improvement in areas where he or she feels deficient, and refraining from using
negative feedback.
Self Assessment Questions
1) What are the significant features of self concept in adolescence?
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2) What is meant by positive and negative self concept?
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3) What are the characteristic features of negative self concept in adolescents?
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2.4 SELF ESTEEM IN ADOLESCENCE

Self-esteem is the experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges
of life and of being worthy of happiness. Self esteem is the one important factor
required by anybody to succeed in life. It is said that if an individual build their self
esteem at their adolescent period it lasts all through their life.
23
Development During Self esteem is all about how much people value them, the pride they feel in themselves,
Adolescence
and how worthwhile they feel. Self-esteem is important because feeling good about
yourself can affect how you act. A person who has high self-esteem will friends
easily, is more in control of his or her behaviour, and will enjoy life more.
Body image is how someone feels about his or her own physical appearance. Body
image can be closely linked to self esteem, that’s because as kids develop into teens,
they care more about how others see them.
Adolescence is one period in which boys and girls faces with many problems and
issues. It is necessary that adolescent self esteem to be at top to face the problems
faced with adolescent period. Many teenagers will have low self esteem and it is
imperative to know major reasons for low self esteem and find out ways and means
to combat the low self esteem. It is highly advisable to make dedicated efforts to
bring up the self esteem.
There are many causes for the lack of positive self esteem. Let us review some of
them.
Hereditary is a main factor for low self esteem. If the parents are introverts and they
never mingle with people for fear of their inability, the chances that children have low
esteem are more.
The living conditions. The surrounding in which you live also affects the lack of self
esteem. If the child is brought up in a poor environment without giving proper
attention to make him excel in his fields or deprived of doing good activities, the low
self esteem at the adolescent stage is possible.
Lack of proper education is another factor affecting the self esteem. Uneducated
children will develop lack of self esteem as they will face problems in interacting with
the educated of their age.
Physiological. Adolescence is a period when major physical changes occur in boys
and girls. The gender hormones start the functioning in full swing during this period.
Many children face problems during this change unable to cope with the changes
occurring in their body and behaviour.
Societal implications. During the adolescent stage of a child, society put many
restrictions in their behaviours and attitudes. Girls will be automatically tempted to
move away form the boys and boys are restricted to mingle with girls during the
period. This makes them feel that there are some things to be afraid. This will
automatically make them fear in a natural interaction.
Fear about future. During the late periods of adolescence, the children will seriously
think about their future and in many cases they will get depressed of their future.
Unemployment, dating problems, insecurity, lack of financial backgrounds and many
such factors make the adolescents afraid of facing the world.
Diseases and other physical ailments. These children will be thinking that they are
debris in the world. These thinking processes make them to keep away from others
and they can become agitated.
There are many such reasons for low self esteem of adolescents. If proper care is
not given, the low self esteem gradually will lead to many physical and mental
ailments. It is important to bring up the adolescents with high self esteem.

24
Some of the influencing factors in Adolescents self esteem: Sexual Maturity in Male
and Female, Identity, Self
Puberty Concept and Self Esteem

Some teens struggle with their self-esteem when they begin puberty because the
body goes through many changes. These changes, when combined with natural
desires, they may compare themselves with other people around them or actors and
celebs they see on T.V, in movies, or in magazines.
Each individual is different from each other, and so are there changes. Some adolescents
start developing early, others are late bloomers and some get a temporary layer of
fat to prepare for growth spurt, others fill out permanently, and others feel like they
stay skinny no matter how much they eat. This all depends on genes of our bodies.
The changes that come with puberty can affect how both boys and girls feel about
themselves. Some girls may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their maturing
bodies, others may wish they were developing faster. Girls may feel pressure to be
thin but guys may feel like they don’t look big or muscular enough.
Other Influences
Adolescence is a stage in which teenage experience and goes through various
challenges and difficulties. To cope with such challenges they tend to rely on materialistic
and worldly pleasure. In this, the self esteem may get affected by many other factors
like media image of skinny girls and bulked up guys) can affect a teenager’s body
image too. During this period they normally tend to develop likes and dislikes on
celebrities, etc and try to follow them in their interests and lifestyle. Many times when
the teenager is not able to achieve his or her expectations, they develop a conflicting
and unresolved issue within themselves, which may create troubles in their self-
esteem.
Family life can sometimes influence self-esteem. Some parents spend more time in
criticizing their kids and the way they look than praising them, which can reduce kids’
ability to develop good self-esteem.
Teenagers also may experience negative comments and hurtful teasing about the way
they look from classmates and peers. Sometimes racial and ethnic prejudice is the
source of such comments. Although most of the times these are ignored, but sometime
they may affect someone’s body image and self-esteem.

2.4.1 Improving and Building the Self-esteem in Adolescence

The teenage years can be turbulent ones, full of self-doubt and angst at the outside
world. It’s normal for things not always to be rosy, but teens can help themselves
by putting a little effort in building their self-confidence. Acting self-confident is the
first step to feeling self-confident.
Smiling: People like friendly people – it’s that simple. Plus, even a forced smile will
lighten up a teen’s own bad mood.
Good posture: Standing tall not only helps improves how a teenager looks, but it
helps a teen feel more secure and puts less stress on the back and shoulders.
Making eye contact: Sometimes a teenager feels painfully shy, but their look says
“Back off!” Meeting another person’s gaze — whether it’s a cute guy or an interviewer
– lets them know a teen is approachable and confident.
25
Development During Being bold: Teens have to be willing to put themselves out there – whether in front
Adolescence
of the class or at a party. It will get a little easier each time until the teen starts
wondering why being in public was ever a big deal.
Going easy on themselves: Nobody’s perfect, but when teenagers obsess about
what’s “wrong” with themselves, they don’t give anyone else a chance to notice all
the things that are great. Teens need to remember that almost everyone feels insecure
at some point (though not everyone lets on). Self-confidence comes from being able
to put a break on that nay-saying voice and moving on.
Doing what they love: Parents and teens do not always agree on what the priorities
should be. But as long as what a teen is doing is not dangerous, a parent should find
ways to support what a teen feels passionate about… or at least to get out of the
way and let the teen explore. What better boost to self-esteem than being able to
do something one cares about well?
Preparing for things: Procrastination is a teen’s favorite friend. But life is stressful
enough without teens tripping themselves up. It’s hard to feel self-confident when
things feel out of control. When teens give themselves enough time to prepare for that
big date, study for that test, write that paper, etc., they find that things tend to go
much better and more simply. Time management can help.
Being able to walk away-I: Sometimes teens that lack self-esteem or have low self-
confidence is willing to put themselves in situations that they know are not good, just
to gain another person’s approval. Teenagers need to learn to stop and trust their
cautious side. Teens need to know they can always try things like sex and drinking
later, when it’s more appropriate, but if they do something they regret, it can’t be
done.
Being able to walk away-II: Some people only give someone the time of day if that
person is doing something for them. No teen should be willing to be a doormat. Sure,
it might lose them some friends, but those “friends” are not worth the trouble.
Self Assessment Questions
1) What is special about self esteem in adolescents that is not as important in
other stages of development?
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2) What factors cause negative self esteem? Elucidate with suitable examples.
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3) What other influences impact on adolescents towards self esteem?
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 Sexual Maturity in Male
and Female, Identity, Self
...................................................................................................................... Concept and Self Esteem

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4) How to improve and build self confidence and higher self esteem in adolescents?
Enumerate all the relevant factors.
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2.5 PEER GROUP RELATIONSHIP

Peer relationships and friendships become more important as children grow into early
adolescents. Peer acceptance represents social status or popularity within a large
group, whereas friendships represent relationships based on mutual respect,
appreciation, and liking. Early adolescence is a time characterised by friendships that
share more common feelings and are more supportive than when children are younger.
At the same time, youth who have more mutual friends (i.e., individuals with a similar
degree of affection for one another) are more likely to be accepted by their larger
peer group. Similarly it can be perceived that older youth interact with peers more
frequently and longer than do younger youth, both within school and out of school.
Adolescent peer culture differs from the younger-age children in the patterns of their
relationships between peers. Adolescence is characterised by the emergence of crowds
as an important social context of development. Adolescence prefer to be in smaller
group and with close friends, which is defined by dyadic (two-person) and small-
group relationships. Another unique characteristic of common during adolescents is
seen to have an increased contact with peers of the opposite sex. Unlike younger
children, who adhere to sex-segregated groups, adolescents steadily increase their
levels of association with members of the opposite sex. Adolescence is marked by
the increased need and ability for intimate relationships both in the form of friendships
and in the form of romantic relationships such as dating.
As children enter adolescence, they begin to form more sustaining relationships with
peers than they had at prior stages of development. During this period, new relationships
develop because adolescents have greater opportunities for independence from parents
and are more able to see themselves as part of a larger community of people.
Adolescence tends to get involved in the new relationships with peers which may
become new sources of trust. Adolescents need these new support relationships
since information or support from a parent may no longer be as relevant. They also
need these relationships to help establish their identity; by comparing opinions and
values with others, teenagers can learn what makes them unique.
The development of enhanced relationships with others may not come easily for
some adolescents. A possible intervention to help develop interpersonal relationships
is interpersonal groups, such as task-oriented, social-recreational, and therapeutic
groups. What makes institutional groups different from informal peer groups, like
cliques, is that they bring people together who may have not otherwise developed 27
Development During relationships. Further, these groups can provide the social skills and positive self-
Adolescence
image which may enhance other relationships.
Biological changes also play an important role in adolescents’ need to form relationships
with the opposite sex – both friendships and dating relationships. Finding the “right”
clique to belong to can provide adolescents with a very much needed emotional and
social support that can help them successfully navigate the demands of adolescence.
Finding the “wrong” clique, on the other hand, can lead to maladaptive consequences
that can include deviant behavioural patterns. The question of the direction of peer
group influence on adolescents, however, is not a simple one. The peer group exerts
a direct and overt influence on the adolescent’s behaviour, however, the influence is
interactional.
Adolescents tend to choose peer groups that share their own beliefs and norms. Peer
groups tend to approach like-minded adolescents to join their group. While peer
culture tends to influence adolescent behaviour, but it is quite clear that only part of
the variation in adolescent behaviour affect the members of peer group. For example,
adolescents’ smoking and alcohol drinking patterns are attributed to peer pressure
only 10 to 40 percent of the time. It is also important to note that peer culture
influences are not limited to deviant behaviour.
As mentioned earlier, many peer groups have positive influences on adolescents
regarding academic achievement.

2.5.1 Adolescent Peer Culture and School

Peer acceptance and membership in a clique is an important aspect of becoming an
adolescent. Peer crowds and cliques can have a profound influence on how adolescents
adjust to a school setting. Adolescents in school settings can become members of
various cliques each with unique norms and beliefs. A practice being visible in most
schools these days are that there appears to be a great deal of pressure from the
“prevailing” peer culture to underachieve in school. Adolescents have a great demand
and select to be with students labeled as the “populars” or the “jocks” as selected
the “brains.” Moreover, the teenagers that are high-achieving students with aspirations
to academic excellence are not considered as “populars” in schools today. Beyond
significantly lower academic achievement, adolescents whose friends in school were
members of a “delinquent” crowd were more likely to exhibit more negative behaviours
inside and outside the classroom (including conduct problems and drug and alcohol
use).
The strong relationship between a positive and supportive peer culture in school and
classroom settings and students’ academic, emotional, and social adjustment shows
a students’ sense of belonging and sense of community in a school setting and their
academic, social, and emotional adjustment. In According to adolescence a supportive
peer community is one that:
 Shares their values and educational goals.
 Actively supports their learning needs.
 Provides a safe and pro-social environment in which adolescents can learn.
 Values their contributions.
Students with a higher sense of community in the school and classroom have higher
grades and higher academic self-esteem. They also display higher levels of learning
orientation and greater interest in complex problem-solving tasks. They tend to
28
display a higher social skills and pro-social behaviour.
 Sexual Maturity in Male
2.6 LET US SUM UP and Female, Identity, Self
Concept and Self Esteem
Identity is a new way of thinking about oneself that emerges during adolescence.
Identity involves a sense of self-unity, accompanied by a feeling that the self has
continuity over time. A firmly established identity also provides a sense of uniqueness
as a person. Identity development begins with children’s awareness that they are
separate and unique individuals.
Identity is multidimensional and may include physical and sexual identity, occupational
goals, religious beliefs, and ethnic background. Adolescents explore these dimensions,
and usually make commitments to aspects of their identity as they move into early
adulthood.
During childhood, self-awareness grows and changes. Preschoolers describe
themselves in terms of observable characteristics and behaviours, including physical
attributes (“I have brown eyes”), preferences (“I like to ride my bike”), and
competencies (“I can sing ‘Itsy, Bitsy Spider”’). Between ages six and twelve,
children begin to include less concrete aspects of the self in their descriptions. School-
aged children talk about their feelings (“I love my dog”) and how they fit into their
social world (“I’m the best fielder on my team”).
During Erikson’s stage of initiative versus guilt children explore their skills, abilities,
and attitudes and incorporate the information into their view of self. During Erikson’s
stage of identity versus role confusion, adolescents’ description of self expands to
include personality traits (“I’m outgoing”) and attitudes (“I don’t like stuck-up
people”).
Identity development involves two steps. First, the adolescent must break away from
childhood beliefs to explore alternatives for identity in a particular area. Second, the
adolescent makes a commitment as to their individual identity in that area. Some
aspects of identity, especially among young adolescents, may be foreclosed. The
foreclosure status is when a commitment is made without exploring alternatives.
In Marcia’s model, identity involves the adoption of: 1) a sexual orientation, 2) a set
of values and ideals and 3) a vocational direction. A well-developed identity gives
on a sense of one’s strengths, weaknesses, and individual uniqueness.
The self-concept is the accumulation of knowledge about the self, such as beliefs
regarding personality traits, physical characteristics, abilities, values, goals, and roles.
In adolescence, the self-concept becomes more abstract, complex, and hierarchically
organised into cognitive mental representations or self-schemas, which direct the
processing of self-relevant information.
Self-concept is frequently positively correlated with academic performance, but it
appears to be a consequence rather than a cause of high achievement. Self esteem
is all about how much people value them, the pride they feel in themselves, and how
worthwhile they feel. Self-esteem is important because feeling good about yourself
can affect how you act.
Self-esteem is the experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges
of life and of being worthy of happiness. Self esteem is the one important factor
required by anybody to succeed in life. It is said that if an individual build their self
esteem at their adolescent period it lasts all through their life.
Self esteem is all about how much people value themselves, the pride they feel in
themselves, and how worthwhile they feel. Self-esteem is important because feeling 29
Development During good about yourself can affect how you act. A person who has high self-esteem will
Adolescence
friends easily, is more in control of his or her behaviour, and will enjoy life more.
Peer relationships and friendships become more important as children grow into early
adolescents. Peer acceptance represents social status or popularity within a large
group, whereas friendships represent relationships based on mutual respect,
appreciation, and liking. Early adolescence is a time characterised by friendships that
share more common feelings and are more supportive than when children are younger.
Peer acceptance and membership in a clique is an important aspect of becoming an
adolescent. Peer crowds and cliques can have a profound influence on how adolescents
adjust to a school setting. Adolescents in school settings can become members of
various cliques each with unique norms and beliefs.

2.7 UNIT END QUESTIONS

1) Discuss the inter relationship amongst the following factors, Identity, self concept,
self esteem, peer group relationship
2) Discuss the development of self identity in adolescence. What factors according
to Erikson and Marcia contribute to self identity?
3) Discuss Marcia’s self status. And self identity in adolescence.
4) Discuss the development of self concept in adolescence.What factors influence
the development of the self concept
5) What role does peer group play in enhancing adolesncent’s self esteem?
Enumerate the factors.

2.8 SUGGESTED READINGS

Hurlock, E.B. (1980). Developmental Psychology. Prentice Hall, New York.
Santrok, J.W., Life Span Development, Holt Renehart, New York.

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