Psych 19 Ch. 12

The major personality achievement of adolescence and as a cruical step toward becoming a productive, content adult. Constructing an identity involves defining who you are, what you value and the directions you choose to pursue in life.

Young people's earlier conflicts were resolved negatively or if society limits their choices to ones that do not match their abilities and desires, they may appear shallow, directionless and unprepared for the challenges of adulthood.

commitment to values, beliefs, and goals following a period of exploration

Exploration without having reached a commitment

commitment in the absence of exploration

An apathetic state characterized by lack of both exploration and commitment

A sense of ethnic group membership and attitudes and feelings associated with that membership

Psychological distress resulting from conflict between the minority and the host culture

By exploring and adopting values from both the adolescent's subculture and the dominant culture

Mortality is externally controlled. Children accept the rules of authority figures and judge actions by their consequences. Behaviors that result in punishment are viewed as bad, those that lead to rewards as good.

Individuals continue to regard conformity to social rules as important, but not for reasons of self-interest. They believe that actively maintaining the current social system ensures positive relationships and societal order

Individuals move beyond unquestioning support for their own society's rules and laws. They define morality in terms of abstract principles and values that apply to all situations

the degree to which morality is central to self-concept