identity versus role confusion

n. Erik Erikson's fifth of eight stages of psychosocial development, which occurs during the teenage years or adolescent period. During this stage, according to Erikson, adolescents are in search of who they are and what they believe. In their efforts to do so, it is not uncommon for adolescents to "try out" multiple roles or experiment with many different identities or belief systems. During this process, some teenagers may become confused and experience what Erikson labeled an identity crisis (which is a result of or leads to role confusion), whereby they cannot decide upon who they are or what they believe. Successful resolution of this stage of development involves the adolescent's developing a cohesive sense of self in a multidimensional identity. The ego strength Erikson believes results from this resolution is a sense of loyalty to self and others.

- SRB