Identity vs. Role Confusion

Lois De Dios
Developmental Psychology
Prof. Julie Weinstein
Reflective Paper During class we learned about Erik Erikson. Erikson, from 1902 to 1994, expanded Sigmund Freud's perspective on psychosocial development. Erikson had developed eight stages of psychosocial development. One of the stages that sparked my interest was identity vs. role confusion. This stage happens around teen years into the 20s. Identity vs. role confusion really caught my attention because of how Erikson described what happens around this stage, I really could relate it to myself when I started high school. One of the most important stages that Erikson created was identity vs. role confusion. This occurs around teenage years to the 20's. During this stage teenagers are still finding out who they are by testing out different roles. Erikson believed that although physical growth can be a big role to identity vs. role confusion, how adolescents feel socially is more of a big impact. He says that teenagers are more concerned with meeting peers and adults expectations. Also its more important for them to fit into the social world. In short, Erikson believed to meet those standards and to find out who they truly are, they test where they belong by trying to fit into different groups. Identity vs. role confusion interested me the most because I could relate it to myself when I was in high school. Freshman year of high school I went to Flushing High School. There I made good friends. Although I did like it there I couldn't stay because it was too far from my house. I then transferred to another high school called Academy of American Studies. I remember entering Academy for the first time and it was nothing compared to my old school. Academy was a really small school and everyone knew everyone. I entered there as a sophomore and I didn't know anyone. During lunch I sat with a group of juniors. I sat with them because they looked cool. Although they looked cool, they were no good for me. These were juniors that didn't care about their studies, did drugs and cut school. I hung out with them for a while and they made me miserable. I remember being peer pressured into smoking weed. I was barely in school and made my grades were horrible. I knew this was not me. Never did I ever went through that. I was depressed and I hated school. My parents were really upset with me. I ended up going to school counseling because I did so poorly. I stopped hangout out with those juniors and I ended up cutting class alone. I felt like a loner and a failure. I didn't know where I belong. I also carried a bad reputation of myself. Since the school was small everyone knew your business. Everyone looked at me like a drop out. Junior year arrived and I finally woke up. I knew I have goals I want to accomplish and I didn't want to have failing grades. I started hanging out with this group that were also juniors. I was happy and content with my life. This was a group where we all had goals for ourselves. They were dedicated to their education and they were a positive influence to me. I stayed with them throughout my high school years and I did so much better. Graduating high school I learned so much about myself and what is important to me. I really never understood why I hung out with those failures in the beginning. This goes back to Erikson. He said adolescents get very involved with and identify with peer groups. This is exactly what I did. I went from jerks to motivated groups. Erikson also said adolescents will move between groups and try on different selves as they search for values that will fit with what they feel is true to themselves. I stayed with the motivated group because they were similar to me. I knew I always did good in school and I wanted to graduate and go to college. That was what I valued. To graduate high school and college and be a nurse. Not to do drugs and drop out. Erik Erikson's identity vs. role confusion is very relatable. I definitely went through this stage to help me learn more about myself and what is important to me. I believe at some point in someones life they will go through this stage to help structure them as a person.