Question

Explain how you would use your understanding of one of the major developmental theories to deal with each of the difficulties listed below:

A.    Your 18-year-old daughter has decided not to go to college. Instead she’s moving to Colorado to become a ski instructor.

Answer 1

This case is an illustration of the conflict experienced by adolescents during the ‘Identity versus Role Confusion’ stage of Erikson’s psychosocial model of development. Adolescents typically undergo was Erikson described as an ‘identity crisis’, a period in which they undergo intense exploration of different roles and aspects of the self. Adolescents struggle to find a balance between developing a unique identity while still being accepted by others. My 18 year old daughter may have decided to to move to Colorado in the quest for self discovery.