Identity Status in Early and Middle Adolescents: Scoring Criteria

Abstract

Adolescence is the stage in the life span that Erikson designated the first in which the task of identity formation becomes salient. It is during adolescence that individuals first question the values, goals, and beliefs of their “significant others.” Having traversed the earlier psychosocial stages of development with more or less success, adolescents enter this fifth phase of life, more or less (1) cognizant of personal strengths and weaknesses, (2) eager to initiate a search for purpose and direction, (3) in the context of and yet separate from people who are important in their lives, and (4) confident in themselves and others that they can effectively resolve the tasks in this final stage of preparation for adulthood.