Editing Adolescence (section)

====Sense of identity====
[[Egocentrism]] in adolescents forms a self-conscious desire to feel important in their peer groups and enjoy social acceptance.<ref>Carlson, N. R., & Heth, C. (2010).</ref> Unlike the conflicting aspects of self-concept, identity represents a coherent sense of self stable across circumstances and including past experiences and future goals. Everyone has a self-concept, whereas [[Erik Erikson]] argued that not everyone fully achieves identity. Erikson's theory of [[Erikson's stages of psychosocial development|stages of development]] includes the [[identity crisis]] in which adolescents must explore different possibilities and integrate different parts of themselves before committing to their beliefs. He described the resolution of this process as a stage of "identity achievement" but also stressed that the identity challenge "is never fully resolved once and for all at one point in time".<ref>Steinberg, L. (2008). ''Adolescence'', 8th ed. 287. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.</ref> Adolescents begin by defining themselves based on their [[Crowds (adolescence)|crowd membership]]. "Clothes help teens explore new identities, separate from parents, and bond with peers." Fashion has played a major role when it comes to teenagers "finding their selves"; Fashion is always evolving, which corresponds with the evolution of change in the personality of teenagers.<ref>"You're Wearing That?" by Stacey Schultz. U.S. News & World Report Special Issue</ref> Adolescents attempt to define their identity by consciously styling themselves in different manners to find what best suits them. Trial and error in matching both their perceived image and the image others respond to and see, allows for the adolescent to grasp an understanding of who they are.<ref name="Rawlins">{{Citation |last=Rawlins |first=W.K. |title= Friendship matters: Communication, dialectics, and life course |publisher= Aldine de Gruyter |place= New York |year= 1992}}</ref>

Just as fashion is evolving to influence adolescents so is the media. "Modern life takes place amidst a never-ending barrage of flesh on screens, pages, and billboards."<ref>"The Media Assault on Male Body Image" by Brandon Klein. Seed Magazine.</ref> This barrage consciously or subconsciously registers into the mind causing issues with self-image a factor that contributes to an adolescence sense of identity. Researcher James Marcia developed the current method for testing an individual's progress along these stages.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Marcia J | s2cid = 29342469 | year = 1966 | title = Development and validation of ego identity status | journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology | volume = 3 | issue = 5| pages = 551–558 | doi = 10.1037/h0023281 | pmid = 5939604 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | author = Marcia J | s2cid = 29342469 | year = 1976 | title = Identity six years after: A follow-up study | journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology | volume = 3 | issue = 5| pages = 551–558 | pmid = 5939604 | doi=10.1037/h0023281}}</ref> His questions are divided into three categories: occupation, ideology, and [[interpersonal relationship]]s. Answers are scored based on the extent to which the individual has explored and the degree to which he has made commitments. The result is classification of the individual into a) identity diffusion in which all children begin, b) Identity Foreclosure in which commitments are made without the exploration of alternatives, c) Moratorium, or the process of exploration, or d) Identity Achievement in which Moratorium has occurred and resulted in commitments.<ref name="ReferenceA">Steinberg, L. (2008). ''Adolescence'', 8th ed. 286. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.</ref>

Research since reveals self-examination beginning early in adolescence, but identity achievement rarely occurring before age 18.<ref>Marcia, J. (1980). Identity in adolescence. In J. Adelson (Ed.), ''Handbook of adolescent psychology'', pp.&nbsp;159–187. New York: Wiley.</ref> The freshman year of college influences identity development significantly, but may actually prolong psychosocial moratorium by encouraging reexamination of previous commitments and further exploration of alternate possibilities without encouraging resolution.<ref>Montemayor, R., Brown, B., & Adams, G. (1985). Changes in identity status and psychological adjustment after leaving home and entering college. Paper presented at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development, Toronto.{{verify source|did this ever get published? Or did the published title change?|date=October 2022}}</ref> For the most part, evidence has supported Erikson's stages: each correlates with the personality traits he originally predicted.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Studies also confirm the impermanence of the stages; there is no final endpoint in identity development.<ref>Steinberg, L. (2008). ''Adolescence'', 8th ed. 288. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.</ref>