Self Identity Problems

What is Self-Identity?

Self-identity, also known as self-concept, answers the question, “Who am I?” It refers to a person’s recognition, understanding, and perception of themselves. Self-identity plays a vital role in personal and social contexts, as it shapes how people perceive themselves and relate to others. Self-concept also influences decision-making, behavior, relationships, and overall well-being. A strong sense of self-identity fosters resilience and self-esteem, contributing to mental wellness and social connectedness [1].

Self-Identity or Self-Concept

People's identity is rooted in their world lens. What a person associates themselves with is ultimately who that person is.

An American person identifies themselves as "American," for example, and that becomes part of that person's identity. The same person might identify themselves as male (or female), a member of a particular religious group, a brother or sister, a child, or an employee. 

Even more personally, they may identify themselves as a loser, as someone who is helpless to influence the course of their lives, or as someone who needs to hate a particular religious group simply because that is what members of their own religious group are "supposed" to do. Though such personal beliefs may have no basis in reality, they are often taken at face value by the people who hold them. These individuals may act on such beliefs and then experience negative consequences because of those actions.

Identity is not just what you know. It is also how you know. People are not born with an identity. Young children have simple identities and see things in an overly simple, generally self-serving manner. As people grow older and wiser, they identify themselves with other people, places, and things in increasingly sophisticated ways. A young child may see their mother as a creature that exists solely to take care of them, but an older child typically starts to appreciate that a mom has needs of her own.

Sometimes, life events interrupt this natural progression from selfishness to thoughtfulness, and people's identities stop growing. These individuals may be chronologically adults, but they relate to others in the selfish manner characteristic of a younger child. This can create issues when the self-centered expectations of the individual clash with the expectations of the people around them. 

Erin L. George, MA-MFT, says, "It's not uncommon for people who have suffered trauma, a difficult childhood, chaos in the home, or grief to experience an interruption in normal life stages. In fact, when children or young adults experience a halt to the typical emotional growth process, they can stay stuck at the age of the event or disruption until they seek help. This can be complicated for the person who is stuck and those around them who are continuing with normal emotional growth. It can be particularly frustrating to caregivers and is often misunderstood as rebellion in kids and teens."

Whether due to mistaken beliefs or developmental delays, identity problems can cause people to have difficulty taking an appropriate perspective toward important life tasks, creating a wide range of life problems. 

The Psychological Foundations of Self-Identity

The core psychological concepts behind self-identity involve self-efficacy, self-esteem, and self-concept. 

• Self-concept is how a person perceives themselves, including their values, attitudes, and beliefs [2].
• Self-esteem involves how someone feels about their competence and worth. 
• Self-efficacy refers to an individual’s belief in their ability to achieve goals and overcome challenges [2].

The relationship between self-perception and behavior is dynamic and complex. People’s perceptions of themselves influence their behavior, decisions, and interactions with others. At the same time, behaviors and experiences shape self-perception, so they work back and forth to affect one another [3].

This two-way relationship is essential to how mental health providers guide treatment planning and psychological interventions, which may be aimed at enhancing self-awareness, promoting positive behaviors, and fostering positive self-esteem and self-concept.

George says, "A client's self-identity or even lack of it can be useful information when determining what type of therapy they could benefit from. For example, Interpersonal Therapy is often helpful to those who are allowing external perceptions to shape the client, and CBT could be better for someone whose behaviors are causing them to have low self-esteem."

Developing Self-Identity: Key Stages and Influences

The psychologist James Marcia described how identity is formed using four identity statuses: identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and identity achievement [4].

Identity Diffusion

Most common in childhood, identity diffusion occurs when someone hasn’t explored or committed to a specific role or identity yet. It’s normal for children and young adolescents to experience identity diffusion. However, they're expected to leave this stage during adolescence as they explore various role models, experiences, and possibilities. Those who stay in this stage may lack a clear sense of direction and exhibit apathy or confusion about who they are. They may seem disengaged, indecisive, and passive in their approach to life choices and relations.

Identity Foreclosure

Identity foreclosure occurs when people commit to an identity without exploring alternatives. They may adopt roles, values, or beliefs based on external influences, such as family or culture, without critically examining them. It’s common for younger adolescents to enter identity foreclosure, committing to an identity without exploring other options. They may do this due to pressure from peers or parents. However, most adolescents are expected to progress past this phase as they begin to think independently and consider other options.

Identity Moratorium

Identity moratorium describes a period when someone is actively exploring and questioning values, beliefs, and goals. Individuals in this stage may engage in experimentation and reflection and seek diverse experiences to clarify their sense of identity.

This can be an anxiety-provoking and intense period of time as adolescents experiment with different belief systems and roles—this is when it’s common for them to be rebellious and defiant. This stage is the precursor to identity achievement.

Identity Achievement

Identity achievement represents the culmination of identity development. It occurs when someone has explored various options and commitments and established a clear sense of self and direction. They have successfully integrated experiences, values, and goals into a coherent identity. People in this state have a strong sense of self-awareness, confidence, and commitment to their identity. They know who they are and what they want to achieve in life.

The process of reaching identity achievement can be long and confusing, and not everyone reaches it by the end of adolescence. It may take several more years of exploration. It all depends on the person.

When someone has achieved a good sense of their identity, they are closer to reaching differentiation. A person who is differentiated, generally an adult past the young adulthood stage, is able to set boundaries, remain connected to people they value in a healthy way, define their interests and goals, and advocate for themselves appropriately. 

How Life Events Affect Self-Identity

Critical life events, such as trauma, loss, illness, and significant life transitions, can profoundly affect self-identity by challenging existing beliefs, values, and perceptions of self.

For example, research suggests that traumatic experiences can disrupt self-identity by causing feelings of powerlessness, loss of control, and a shattered sense of self [5].

Additionally, major life transitions like job loss and divorce can cause people to re-evaluate their identity, values, and goals, leading to shifts in self-concept and behavior [6].

Elements of Self-Identity

The main elements of self-identity include:

• Self-concept: The overall perception and understanding a person has of themselves, including beliefs, attitudes, values, and perceptions about abilities and attributes
• Self-image: The mental and emotional picture people hold of themselves, including how they perceive their physical appearance, social roles, and interactions with others
• Self-esteem: The overall evaluation people make about their self-worth and value as individuals and involves feelings of self-acceptance, self-respect, and self-confidence

How Self-Efficacy Affects Life Satisfaction

Self-efficacy, a concept proposed by the psychologist Albert Bandura, refers to individuals’ beliefs in their ability to perform tasks and achieve desired outcomes. 

Self-efficacy can shape a person’s sense of personal agency and control over their life. Someone with high self-efficacy is more likely to set challenging goals, persevere in the face of obstacles, and take proactive steps to achieve desired outcomes.

Moreover, self-efficacy is positively associated with life satisfaction and well-being. People who believe in their ability to overcome challenges and accomplish goals experience greater levels of confidence, resilience, and satisfaction in various domains of life.

Low Self-Esteem

A poor sense of self-worth—or poor self-esteem—occurs when you believe that you have little value or worth. This often occurs when key people in your life are critical towards you or when you are a perfectionist and critical towards yourself. In either case, the tendency is to harshly judge and ignore or play down the importance of real accomplishments, even when it makes no sense to act this way. There may also be a belief present to the effect that self-worth can only be based on the acclaim of other high-status people, even though this is not the case.

Low Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy describes how effective and in control of their lives people believe they can be. People need to feel that they have a certain amount of control over their lives so they're able to get out of difficult situations or meet challenges they are expected to meet. 

When people believe they are helpless to alter negative situations—this is called learned helplessness—they tend to get depressed. Though there are certainly aspects of life that people cannot control, there are a remarkable number of things that can be influenced. People who have low self-efficacy expectations of themselves will believe they are helpless to influence their fate, however, and will generally not seek to alter their lives even when they are suffering. 

Self-efficacy tends to be domain-specific. You might feel confident in one area of your life but feel helpless to influence another.

• Do you believe you have control over the important aspects of your life?
• Are you "stuck" in a situation you don't like but can't leave? Why do you think that is the case?
• Are you a weak person? In what way? Why is that?

Sources

1. Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (2004). The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior. In J. T. Jost & J. Sidanius (Eds.), Political psychology: Key readings (pp. 276–293). Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203505984-16
2. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W H Freeman/Times Books/ Henry Holt & Co.
3. Bandura, A., & National Inst of Mental Health. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall, Inc.
4. Lumen Adolescent Psychology. Identity Development Theory.
5. Nelson, K., & Fivush, R. (2004). The emergence of autobiographical memory: a social cultural developmental theory. Psychological review, 111(2), 486–511. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.111.2.486
6. Steger MF, Kashdan TB. Depression and Everyday Social Activity, Belonging, and Well-Being. J Couns Psychol. 2009;56(2):289-300. doi:10.1037/a0015416