Give an account of any TWO theoretical approaches to identity and explain the ways in which
Within the discipline of psychology the study of identity has given rise to a number of theories that attempt to better understand how people’s identities are formed. This essay will describe two of the prominent theories – psychosocial and Social Identity Theory – and explain some of the differences between them. As the main point, it will contrast the individual approach of the psychosocial model with the group approach of Social Identity Theory. The essay will also suggest why these different approaches may have been developed. The psychosocial theory was originally constructed by psychoanalyst Erik Erikson (1968, cited by Phoenix 2002) who contended that identity was formed by passing through a series of eight role transitions from infancy to old age. At each stage there would be a resolution conflict, the outcome of which would influence the achievement of identity. ... This period of time, which Erikson called psychosocial moratorium, would either end successfully, resulting in a positive ego identity – a secure feeling of who and what you are – or an identity crisis, where feelings of being overwhelmed by all the role changes would lead to a failure to achieve a secure ego, a situation Erikson termed as role (or identity) diffusion.