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Adolescence 9/e Book Cover
Adolescence, 9/e
John W. Santrock, University of Texas, Dallas

The Self and Identity

Key Terms

commitment  The part of identity development in which adolescents show a personal investment in what they are going to do.
connectedness  An important element in adolescent identity development. It consists of two dimensions: mutuality, sensitivity to and respect for others' views; and permeability, openness to others' views.
crisis  A period of identity development during which the adolescent is choosing among meaningful alternatives.
emotional isolation  A type of loneliness that arises when a person lacks an intimate attachment relationships; single, divorced, and widowed adults often experience this type of loneliness.
ethnic identity  An enduring, basic aspect of the self that includes a sense of membership in an ethnic group and the attitudes and feelings related to that membership.
identity achievement  Marcia's term for having undergone a crisis and made a commitment.
identity diffusion  Marcia's term for the state adolescents are in when they have not yet experienced a crisis or made any commitments.
identity foreclosure  Marcia's term for the state adolescents are in when they have made a commitment but have not experienced a crisis.
identity moratorium  Marcia's term for the state of adolescents who are in the midst of a crisis, but whose commitments are either absent or are only vaguely defined.
identity versus identity confusion  Erikson's fifth developmental stage, which individuals experience during the adolescent years. At this time, individuals are faced with finding out who they are, what they are all about, and where they are going in life.
individuality  An important element in adolescent identity development. It consists of two dimensions: self-assertion, the ability to have and communicate a point of view; and separateness, the use of communication patterns to express how one is different from others.
individuated-connected level  The highest level of relationship maturity, at which there is evidence of an understanding of oneself, as well as consideration of others' motivations and anticipation of their needs. Concern and caring involve emotional support and individualized expression of interest.
intimacy versus isolation  Erikson's sixth developmental stage, which individuals experience during the early adulthood years. At this time, individuals face the developmental task of forming intimate relationships with others.
intimate style  The individual forms and maintains one or more deep and long-lasting love relationships.
isolated style  The individual withdraws from social encounters and has little or no attachment to same or opposite-sex individuals.
possible self  What individuals might become, what they would like to become, and what they are afraid of becoming.
preintimate style  The individual shows mixed emotions about commitment, an ambivalence reflected in the strategy of offering love without obligations.
pseudointimate style  The individual maintains a long-lasting sexual attachment with little or no depth or closeness.
psychosocial moratorium  Erikson's term for the gap between childhood security and adult autonomy that adolescents experience as part of their identity exploration.
role-focused level  The second or intermediate level of relationship maturity, at which perceiving others as individuals in their own right begins to develop. However, at this level the perspective is stereotypical and emphasizes social acceptability.
self-concept  Domain-specific evaluations of the self.
self-esteem  The global evaluative dimension of the self. Self-esteem is also referred to as self-worth or self-image.
self-focused level  The first level of relationship maturity, at which one's perspective of another or of a relationship is concerned only with how it affects oneself.
self-understanding  The adolescent's cognitive representation of the self, the substance and content of the adolescent's self-conceptions.
social isolation  A type of loneliness that occurs when a person lacks of sense of integrated involvement. Being deprived of participation in a group or community involving companionship, shared interests, organized activities, and meaningful roles causes a person to feel alienated, bored, and uneasy.
stereotyped style  The individual has superficial relationships that tend to be dominated by friendship ties with same-sex rather than opposite-sex individuals.