Identity Versus Role Confusion

Identity vs. Role Confusion is a concept associated with Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This is the 5th stage (of the 8 stages) which is typically experienced by teens at the age of 12 to 19. The goal of this phase is to establish a stable personal identity as manifested through one's self-concept, self-esteem, life goals, relationships, sexuality, and other pertinent life areas. Erikson explained that some confusion is normal as the periods of puberty and adolescence are marked with various adjustments. A successful stage is then characterized has having a relatively clear answer for answering the question, Who Am I?

Moreover, those with a healthy sense of identity are more likely to develop fidelity. It is difficult to be loyal to a relationship or commit to an ideology when one is still confused. For instance, a transferee student is not loyal to his current university, he sometimes denies that he is already enrolled in a different school because he still has hang-ups regarding his previous alma-mater.