Psycosocial development and pastoral care use
•Download as PPT, PDF•
4 likes•1,033 views
This document discusses pastoral care and development theory. It provides definitions of pastoral care as a holistic, person-centered approach focused on spiritual healing and empowerment. A basic pastoral care model includes the pastor as comforter, moral counselor, and ritual coordinator. Erikson's psychosocial developmental theory of 8 life stages is examined for its usefulness in understanding people's needs at different life phases and developing effective pastoral interventions. Rituals are proposed as a way to support people through developmental crises. Fowler's faith development stages are also briefly discussed and their possible connections to Erikson's stages.
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Viewers also liked
Viewers also liked (20)
Similar to Psycosocial development and pastoral care use
Similar to Psycosocial development and pastoral care use (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Psycosocial development and pastoral care use
- 1. Pastoral Care in Context Developing effective pastoral responses at different life stages
- 2. What... • What is Pastoral care? • What is the context? • Developmental Theory & application in pastoral care • Pastoral care model/metaphor
- 4. We have been set apart to be highly flexible, loosely coupled and amenable to frequent change!
- 5. What is Pastoral Care? • Biblical Images/examples • Definitions
- 6. Pastoral care is a person-centred, holistic approach to care that complements the care offered by other helping disciplines while paying particular attention to spiritual care.
- 7. The focus of pastoral care is upon the healing, guiding, supporting, reconciling, nurturing, liberating, and empowering of people in whatever situation they find themselves.
- 8. A Basic Model Consists of 3 Dimensions: Pastor as personal comforter Pastor as moral counselor Pastor as ritual coordinator
- 9. • Biblical Images/examples • Techniques may include: • active listening • unconditional positive regard • empathy • compassion • What Else? Personal Comforter
- 10. • Biblical images/examples • Techniques may include: • active listening • Teaching/correcting • theological models/themes • What else? Moral Counsellor
- 11. • Biblical Examples/images • Techniques may include: • liturgy • symbolic practices • reviews/reminiscing • what else? Ritual Coordinator
- 12. A dance… • We need to be present • We need to listen to the music • We feel the rhythm (know the context) • We need to engage with our dance partners (know the person)
- 13. Focus on us: how do we dance? •How do you do pastoral care? •What does it look like? •How do you understand/see yourself in the role of the carer?
- 14. •Who are the people to whom you minister? •How well do you know them? •What makes them tick? •What are the main life- events/situations they experience? Focus on theother…with whomare you dancing?
- 16. • Understanding the person is crucial • Understanding where they are at in life is crucial • Develop effective pastoral interventions/practices /rituals • How can we do that?
- 17. Listening to the music feeling the rhythm… • Erik Erikson’s psychosocial developmental stages
- 18. Psychosocial Developmental Theory • 8 stages of life psychological development • Each stage of life we face establishes equilibrium between ourselves and our world • Development is life-long & stages are divided based on specific crises to be resolved
- 19. • Each psychological stage has an age period • Each stage has a crisis which needs to be resolved • Each stage builds on the last one • Associated with each stage is a virtue which is the results of a resolved crisis • Associated with each stage is a ritualisation • We will examine it today for its usefulness
- 22. We pastorally support people at and through these stages…
- 23. What could our role(s) be?
- 34. What rituals can you think of (or think up) that would be helpful for each stage of development?
- 37. Ritualisation in Church life • Donald Capp (2002) takes each ritual element and relates them to rituals in church life • Emphasises the pastor’s role as the ritual coordinator
- 40. Trust vs. Mistrust • Ritual Element: Numinous • Form of Encounter: mutual recognition • Disorienting exp.: separation & abandonment • Resulting in mistrust • Ritual Excess: Idolism • What does this correspond to in ministry/church?
- 41. Autonomy vs. shame & Doubt • Ritual Element: Judicious • Form of Encounter: trial • Disorienting exp.: Approval/disapproval • Resulting in inadequacy/self doubt • Ritual Excess: legalism • What does this correspond to in ministry/church?
- 42. Initiative vs. Guilt • Ritual Element: Dramatic • Form of Encounter: drama & Story • Disorienting exp.: self condemnation • Resulting in guilt • Ritual Excess: moralism • What does this correspond to in ministry/church?
- 44. Integrity vs. Despair • Ritual Element: Integral • Form of Encounter: personification of ritual wisdom • Disorienting exp.: incoherence • Resulting in despair/bitterness • Ritual Excess: dogmatism / sapientism • What does this correspond to in ministry/church?
- 45. • Life Review as ritual: • Express • Reconcile • Forgive • Accept • Give/Gifts
- 47. Putting it all together… • Move into 4 groups: • Each group take 2 developmental stages
- 48. • What is the main crisis & virtue in your stages? • What do you think these would look like in real life? • What are some rituals that would help during the stages? • Can you think up any other rituals/symbols that may help?
- 49. Fowler’s Stages of Faith development
- 50. Erikson & Fowler • Did you notice any interesting possible overlaps between the two? • Synthetic-conventional AND Identity vs. Role confusion
- 52. Fowler • Adoption of all encompassing belief system • Reliance on institution for stability • Authority is external • Individuals or groups representing one’s beliefs • Most people remain at this stage!
Editor's Notes
- HOLY: set apart; recognised; empowered etc adhocracy, an organizational design whose structure is highly flexible, loosely coupled, and amenable to frequent change. Adhocracy arises out of the need of formal organizations to be able to recognize, understand, and solve problems in highly complex and turbulent environments. The concept is of recent origin. The American futurist Alvin Toffler coined the term in 1970 to define an emerging system of organization appropriate to a world of swiftly advancing technology and of societal impatience with the multilayered authority structure of the typical hierarchy. The Canadian author Henry Mintzberg more fully elaborated adhocracy as a type in 1979, arguing for its status as an important addition to the well-known forms, such as the simple structure, the professional bureaucracy, and the divisionalized form of organization We have been SET APART to be highly flexible, loosely coupled and amenable to frequent change!
- Part of this flexibility is engaging, enlisting, interpreting and employing different techniques and models into our different contexts. What we will be discussing today is an example of this approach and I hope it will prompt you to think of other ways and models which may also be helpfully interpreted and practiced.
- What do you think is Pastoral Care? Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 2 Corinthians 1:4 Who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Romans 12:4-21 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. ... John 21:15-17 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Shepherds (Luke 15) E.g. Pastor as shepherd; counsellor; moral counselor; ritual coordinator; friend; advocate; leader; Pastoral care is a person-centred, holistic approach to care that complements the care offered by other helping disciplines while paying particular attention to spiritual care. The focus of pastoral care is upon the healing, guiding, supporting, reconciling, nurturing, liberating, and empowering of people in whatever situation they find themselves*. Pastoral / spiritual care is the only caring modality in which personal connection is the prime goal of interaction.Because the nature of friendship is the mutual self disclosure of each person, pastoral care includes the skill by the carer of appropriately revealing him or herself as a person in the pastoral conversation. The value of this offer of friendship becomes important when the other person is interested to receive it.An effective pastoral carer is an expert 'non expert'. The conversations she or he initiates are between two or more free and equal persons where there is no necessary assumption of 'expertise' as there is with a counsellor or therapist.Pastoral care is grounded in initiating, developing and bringing to an appropriate close a mutual and empathic relationship with the client, resident, their family members, and/or staff. The development of a genuine relationship is at the core of pastoral care and underpins - even enables - all the other dimensions of pastoral care to occur. It is assumed that all of these standards are addressed within the context of such relationships.
- Pastoral Care council of the ACT Some people talk about Pastoral care as being an intentional friendship I like to see it like a dance… (mention here the conference “dancing in the gap”)
- Donald Capps (2002) suggests a basic model for Pastoral care which is made up of 3 dimensions or identities: E.g. Pastor as shepherd; counsellor; moral counselor; ritual coordinator; friend; paraklete; advocate; leader;
- Karl Rogers stuff
- 2 Tim (all scripture is God breathed and suitable for teaching and correcting etc…) Moral in distinction to professional Moral also in relation to what is “right” etc
- We will only be dealing with this one in some detail today Jewish rituals coordinated by the priests etc Christian rituals later coordinated by apostles, then leaders etc. E.G. Eating together; meeting together; others? Other less noticeable rituals… “e.g. saying hello at the start of the service etc”
- Note Dancing in the Gap conference
- E.g. Pastor as shepherd; counsellor; moral counselor; ritual coordinator; friend; paraklete; advocate; leader; Pastoral Care - using the metaphor of dancing: 1. you have to show up - be there 2. you have to stop and listen to the music - 3. listen to be able to get the rhythm 4. dance to the rhythm
- How do they express their spirituality? SEE MacKinlay
- Birth and Death: Erik Erikson was born June 15, 1902. He died May 12, 1994. Childhood: Erik Erikson was born June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany. "The common story was that his mother and father had separated before his birth, but the closely guarded fact was that he was his mother's child from an extramarital union. He never saw his birth father or his mother's first husband," reported Erikson's obituary that appeared in The New York Times in 1994. His young Jewish mother raised Erik by herself for a time before marrying a physician, Dr. Theodor Homberger. The fact that Homberger was not in fact his biological father was concealed from him for many years. When he finally did learn the truth, he was left with a feeling of confusion about who he really was. This early experience helped spark his interest in the formation of identity. His interest in identity was further developed based upon his own experiences in school. At his temple school, the other children teased him for being Nordic because he was tall, blonde, and blue-eyed. At grammar school, he was rejected because of his Jewish background. These early experiences helped fuel his interest in identity formation and continued to influence his work throughout his life. Career: When he finished high school, Erikson dabbled in art and spent some time traveling throughout Europe. At the suggestion of a friend, Erikson studied psychoanalysis and earned a certificate from the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. He also took a teaching position at a school created by Dorothy Burlingham, a friend of Anna Freud's. He continued to work with Burlingham and Freud at the school for several years, met Sigmund Freud at a party, and even became Anna Freud's patient. "Psychoanalysis was not so formal then," he recalled. "I paid Miss Freud $7 a month, and we met almost every day. My analysis, which gave me self-awareness, led me not to fear being myself. We didn't use all those pseudoscientific terms then -- defense mechanism and the like -- so the process of self-awareness, painful at times, emerged in a liberating atmosphere." He met a Canadian dance instructor named Joan Serson who was also teaching at the school where he worked. The couple married in 1930 and went on to have three children. Erikson moved to the United States in 1933 and was offered a teaching position at Harvard Medical School. He also changed his name from Erik Homberger to Erik H. Erikson, perhaps as a way to forge is own identity. In addition to his position at Harvard, he also had a private practice in child psychoanalysis. Later, he held teaching positions at the University of California at Berkeley, Yale, the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute, Austen Riggs Center, and the Center for Advanced Studies of the Behavioral Sciences. He published a number of books on his theories and research, including Childhood and Society and The Life Cycle Completed. His book Gandhi's Truth was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and a national Book Award. Contributions to Psychology: Erik Erikson spent time studying the cultural life of the Sioux of South Dakota and the Yurok of northern California. He utilized the knowledge he gained of cultural, environmental, and social influences to further develop his psychoanalytic theory. While Freud’s theory had focused on the psychosexual aspects of development, Erikson’s addition of other influences helped to broaden and expand psychoanalytic theory. He also contributed to our understanding of personality as it is developed and shaped over the course of the lifespan. His observations of children also helped set the stage for further research. "You see a child play," he was quoted in his New York Times obituary, "and it is so close to seeing an artist paint, for in play a child says things without uttering a word. You can see how he solves his problems. You can also see what's wrong. Young children, especially, have enormous creativity, and whatever's in them rises to the surface in free play." His son, Kai T. Erikson, is a noted American sociologist.
- Erikson contends that crisis are equivalent to a turning point in life when we have the potential to move forward or regress. At these turning points we can either RESOLVE our conflicts OR FAIL TO MASTER the developmental task. He contends that to a large extent our lives are the product of the choices we make at each of these stages.
- Erikson contends that crisis are equivalent to a turning point in life when we have the potential to move forward or regress. At these turning points we can either RESOLVE our conflicts OR FAIL TO MASTER the developmental task. He contends that to a large extend our lives are the product of the choices we make at each of these stages.
- Given that each stage builds on the previous one, some people may actually still be negotiating through early developmental stages even in adulthood and old age. Our pastoral care and rituals need to keep this in mind.
- What are the VIRTUES? How else could we understand these virtues? Why are these so important to Pastoral Care giving through developmental stages do you think?
- HANDOUT
- Psychosocial Conflict: Trust vs Mistrust Major Question: "Can I trust the people around me?" Basic Virtue: Hope Important Event(s): Feeding The trust versus mistrust stage is the first stage of Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. This stage occurs between birth and approximately 18 months of age. According to Erikson, the trust versus mistrust stage is the most important period in a person’s life. Because an infant is entirely dependent upon his or her caregivers, the quality of care that the child receives plays an important role in the shaping of the child’s personality. During this stage, children learn whether or not they can trust the people around them. When a baby cries, does his caregiver attend to his needs? When he is frightened, will someone comfort him? When these needs are consistently met, the child will learn that he can trust the people that are caring for him. If, however, these needs are not consistently met, the child will begin to mistrust the people around him. If a child successfully develops trust, he or she will feel safe and secure in the world. Caregivers who are inconsistent, emotionally unavailable or rejecting contribute to feelings of mistrust in the children they care for. Failure to develop trust will result in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable.
- Psychosocial Conflict: Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt Major Question: "Can I do things myself or am I reliant on the help of others?" Basic Virtue: Will Important Event(s): Toilet Training Autonomy versus shame and doubt is the second stage of Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. This stage occurs between the ages of 18 months to approximately age two to three years. According to Erikson, children at this stage are focused on developing a greater sense of self-control. Gaining a sense of personal control over the world is important at this stage of development. Toilet training plays a major role; learning to control one’s body functions leads to a feeling of control and a sense of independence. Other important events include gaining more control over food choices, toy preferences and clothing selection. Children who successfully complete this stage feel secure and confident, while those who do not are left with a sense of inadequacy and self-doubt.
- Psychosocial Conflict: Initiative versus Guilt Major Question: “Am I good or bad?” Basic Virtue: Purpose Important Event(s): Exploration, Play Initiative versus guilt is the third stage of Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. This stage occurs during the preschool years, between the ages of three and five. During the initiative versus guilt stage, children begin to assert their power and control over the world through directing play and other social interaction. Children need to begin asserting control and power over the environment by taking initiative by planning activities, accomplishing tasks and facing challenges. During this stage, it is important for caregivers to encourage exploration and to help children make appropriate choices. Caregivers who are discouraging or dismissive may cause children to feel ashamed of themselves and to become overly dependent upon the help of others. Play and imagination takes on an important role at this stage. Children have their sense of initiative reinforced by being given the freedom and encouragement to play. When efforts to engage in physical and imaginative play are stifled by caregivers, children begin to feel that their self-initiated efforts are a source of embarrassment. Success in this stage leads to a sense of purpose, while failure results in a sense of guilt.
- Psychosocial Conflict: Industry versus Inferiority Major Question: "How can I be good?" Basic Virtue: Competence Important Event(s): School Industry versus inferiority is the fourth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. The stage occurs during childhood between the ages of six and eleven. School and social interaction play an important role during this time of a child’s life. Through social interactions, children begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments and abilities. During the industry versus inferiority stage, children become capable of performing increasingly complex tasks. As a result, they strive to master new skills. Children who are encouraged and commended by parents and teachers develop a feeling of competence and belief in their skills. Those who receive little or no encouragement from parents, teachers, or peers will doubt their ability to be successful. According to Erikson, this stage is vital in the development of self-confidence. During school and other social activities, children receive praise and attention for performing various tasks such as reading, writing, drawing and solving problems. Children need to cope with new social and academic demands. Success leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in feelings of inferiority.
- Psychosocial Conflict: Identity Versus Confusion Major Question: "Who am I?" Basic Virtue: Fidelity Important Event(s): Social Relationships Identity versus confusion is the fifth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This stage occurs during adolescence between the ages of approximately 12 to 18. Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. During adolescence, children are exploring their independence and developing a sense of self. As they make the transition from childhood to adulthood, teens may begin to feel confused or insecure about themselves and how they fit in to society. As they seek to establish a sense of self, teens may experiment with different roles, activities and behaviours. According to Erikson, this is important to the process of forming a strong identity and developing a sense of direction in life. Those who receive proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal exploration will emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self and a feeling of independence and control. Those who remain unsure of their beliefs and desires will insecure and confused about themselves and the future.
- Psychosocial Conflict: Intimacy Versus Isolation Major Question: "Will I be loved or will I be alone?" Basic Virtue: Love Important Event(s): Romantic Relationships Intimacy versus isolation is the sixth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This stage takes place during young adulthood between the ages of approximately 19 and 40. During this period of time, the major conflict centers on forming intimate, loving relationships with other people. While psychosocial theory is often presented as a series of neatly defined, sequential steps, it is important to remember that each stage contributes to the next. For example, Erikson believed that having a fully formed sense of self (established during the identity versus confusion stage) is essential to being able to form intimate relationships. Studies have demonstrated that those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness, and depression. Erikson believed it was vital that people develop close, committed relationships with other people. Success leads to strong relationships, while failure results in loneliness and isolation.
- Psychosocial Conflict: Generativity Versus Stagnation Major Question: "How can I contribute to the world?" Basic Virtue: Care Important Event(s): Parenthood and Work Generativity versus stagnation is the seventh stage of Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. This stage takes place during middle adulthood between the ages of approximately 40 and 65. During this time, adults strive to create or nurture things that will outlast them; often by having children or contributing to positive changes that benefits other people. Contributing to society and doing things to benefit future generations are important needs at the generativity versus stagnation stage of development. Generativity refers to "making your mark" on the world, through caring for others, creating things and accomplishing things that make the world a better place. Stagnation refers to the failure to find a way to contribute. These individuals may feel disconnected or uninvolved with their community and with society as a whole. Those who are successful during this phase will feel that they are contributing to the world by being active in their home and community. Those who fail to attain this skill will feel unproductive and uninvolved in the world.
- Psychosocial Conflict: Integrity versus despair Major Question: "Did I live a meaningful life?" Basic Virtue: Wisdom Important Event(s): Reflecting back on life Integrity versus despair is the eighth and final stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This stage occurs during late adulthood from age 65 through the end of life. During this period of time, people reflect back on the life they have lived and come away with either a sense of fulfilment from a life well lived or a sense of regret and despair over a life misspent. Those who feel proud of their accomplishments will feel a sense of integrity. Successfully completing this phase means looking back with few regrets and a general feeling of satisfaction. These individuals will attain wisdom, even when confronting death. Those who feel proud of their accomplishments will feel a sense of integrity. Successfully completing this phase means looking back with few regrets and a general feeling of satisfaction. These individuals will attain wisdom, even when confronting death. Those who are unsuccessful during this phase will feel that their life has been wasted and will experience many regrets. The individual will be left with feelings of bitterness and despair.
- Let’s go back to our dance metaphor…
- Not only helpful when it comes to each stage of development but when we consider the church and what rituals we
- Erikson was able to relate the developmental stages to rituals which are expressed in each of the stages. His theory states that ritualisation assumes new forms as individuals progress through the life cycle. He argued that each stage needs a ritualisation for it to make sense. He also argued that as each stage builds developmentally on each other, then these rituals are even more important when it comes to us developing into healthy adults and older people. How does this relate to pastoral carer as the ritual coordinator?
- E.g. Mother and child Child awakens and mother engages the child. They each recognise each other and the mother refers to the child by name. In the numinous experience we are recognised by God, called by name, and lifted to God’s embrace / loving gaze. Such experiences overcome our sense of SEPARATION and ABANDONMENT. Ministry/Church: Baptism – we are lifted to God and introduced to God by name Holy Communion – We recognise God in the elements and we receive assurance that God recognises us Funeral Service – God knows us by name; recognises us and upholds us taking us into Godself Others? Church’s everyday life? Mutual recognition – be recognised by face and by name Ritual Coordinator: What things could you do to ensure that such recognition occurs? And that it not only overcomes our separateness but that our distinctiveness is confirmed?
- Called the Judicial element because it introduces the concepts of approval and disapproval. The TRIAL is not just found in judicial settings, but we find “trials” in all parts of life from parents “exposing” a child’s bad behaviour, to the dating or courting process prior to marriage; tests and exams; job evaluations etc Ministry/Church: The way people express their approval or otherwise of the leader Church’s everyday life? Trial – how do we in the church relate to people visiting / looking for a new spiritual home or place to worship? Can it be a little like a trial sometimes? What about in non-congregational settings? How are people welcomed and initiated into the community – how do they become members? In what ways could a visitor be “damaged” or what could they feel if the “trial” period is long or prolonged? E.g. Old pentecostal church requiring people to state and sign off on the 10 points of the declaration of faith (and these were placed in front of the communion table every time communion was celebrated… UCA – you have to be in the church for 12 months to be able to go into specified ministry… is this a trial period? Ritual Coordinator: What things could you do to ensure that such ritual is not prolonged and exhausting to the new comer? What sort of things could we do that would ensure that the new person is not seen as being in a “trial”
- Children see imagine themselves as the ideal actors in an ideal plot They play through toys and fantasy – afforded by story telling etc Identification with heroic and superior characters – experimenting in this way with their own future roles: NOTE: through play the child is presented with both heroic and villain future roles When the child finds the villain role strangely appealing, this feeling can cause guilt and the experience of self-condemnation Church Life: We have the Christian Story: we are all parts of this story; where do you see yourself in the story? Is there a character / characters who you relate too more OR who you see as a model for your own life? How about the person who has been on the church council for years and feels they need to move on to other things BUT feels guilty for wanting to move on in the story? Ritual Coordinator: We are to find ways in which we can encourage our communities to create an ethos that in which all are actively encouraged to envision NEW roles for themselves. Especially ones which are more congruent with their sense of who they are in the Christian Story
- Developmental conflict is INTEGRITY vs. DESPAIR VIRTUE IS WISDOM failure to negotiate this period successfully results in feelings of bitterness and despair. Life has been useless and a “waste” Our role as ritual coordinators would be to ensure that certain rituals happen in order to help the person integrate their life experiences into a whole. We can use life review for this. What else could we use?
- Dogmatism and Sapientism – when you know all the answers!
- HANDOUT Keep the stages in mind as we go through Erikson’s stages. Are there any that you feel/think may overlap? Are there any that bear on each other in some way?
- Psychosocial Conflict: Identity Versus Confusion Major Question: "Who am I?" Basic Virtue: Fidelity Important Event(s): Social Relationships Identity versus confusion is the fifth stage of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. This stage occurs during adolescence between the ages of approximately 12 to 18. Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. During adolescence, children are exploring their independence and developing a sense of self. As they make the transition from childhood to adulthood, teens may begin to feel confused or insecure about themselves and how they fit in to society. As they seek to establish a sense of self, teens may experiment with different roles, activities and behaviours. According to Erikson, this is important to the process of forming a strong identity and developing a sense of direction in life. Those who receive proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal exploration will emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self and a feeling of independence and control. Those who remain unsure of their beliefs and desires will insecure and confused about themselves and the future.
- We can probably see why so many remain at this stage!