Sex identity refers to the social criteria by which men and women are defined within society. Although physical sex is biologically determined, sex identity, or gender, is defined culturally. There is thus variation in how women and men worldwide identify themselves with respect to each other. The way in which a society defines sex identity
A person’s identity develops as a consequence of the interplay between biological, psychological, sociological, and historical influences. At its core, it emerges out of the individual’s efforts to maintain a sense of personal uniqueness and continuity in the face of changing developmental tasks and life circumstances—and at the same time feel a sense of solidarity
Identity politics refers to the struggle for political recognition by marginalized social groups based on particular affiliations of individual identity, such as gender, sexuality, “race,” ethnicity, and nationality. Identity-based movements, as they grew in the west, challenged the limitations of political representation and citizenship offered within the liberal democratic state and institutions. Even as identity
Social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner 1979) was originally developed to explain prejudice and discrimination, and the circumstances under which societies would move from relatively cooperative and harmonious arrangements to overt conflict. The theory has since expanded enormously, and has become the basis for a general social identity approach to social psychological and communicative phenomena.
Communication plays a substantial role in influencing understandings and self-presentations with regard to age. While the immutable passing of time (and rising chronological age) is at the heart of life-span development issues, our age group identifications and the age groups into which we are categorized are not deterministically organized by chronological age. Rather, age identities
Identity is a rather loose concept which has various degrees of currency in a number of different disciplines. For example, Bosma et al. (1994) have argued that there is little consensus in the field of psychology about the phenomena to which the term identity might refer. They go on to suggest that, as a result
Exercise identity is a construct that captures the extent to which one sees exercise as a part of one’s self-concept, or who one is. This self-perception has been related to exercise behavior and may be of interest to researchers and practitioners who are invested in understanding and promoting exercise adherence. Adhering to recommended levels of
This article explores the intricate relationship between racial identity and health outcomes within the realm of health psychology. Beginning with an elucidation of the conceptualization of racial identity, the discussion encompasses historical perspectives and theoretical frameworks, notably Cross’s Nigrescence Model, to elucidate the development of racial identity across the lifespan. The subsequent sections delve into
This article explores the intricate relationship between illness identity and psychological adjustment within the realm of health psychology. The introduction delineates the concept of illness identity, emphasizing its significance in understanding the psychosocial dimensions of health. The first section delves into the development of illness identity, elucidating cognitive and emotional processes, as well as the
Ethnic identity, broadly defined, is a dynamic and multidimensional construct that represents the part of one’s self-concept that is derived from a sense of belonging and commitment to a particular ethnic group. Other key components of ethnic identity include self-identification, the importance of ethnicity in one’s life, ethnic group affiliation, positive feelings and attitudes toward
The concept of identity has been defined as an internalized psychic system that integrates an individual’s inner self and the outer social world into a congruent whole. The integration of a personal self and social outer world has been viewed as a developmental process and one that, according to Erik Erikson, requires the individual to
Racial identity is a dynamic sociopolitical construction and assists in the understanding of within-group differences of people of different races. Racial identity development is relevant to all racial groups and incorporates perspectives of a person’s view of self with regard to his or her own racial group and other racial groups. Racial identity is an
Vocational identity and career identity are related, but vocational identity as a concept extends beyond career identity. Career identity is indicative of the current career being pursued, whereas vocational identity represents an identity related to work over a long term and is more stable as one develops and becomes more confident in his or her
Identity Crisis Definition Erik H. Erikson coined the term identity crisis to describe the uncertainty, and even anxiety, that adolescents may feel as they recognize that they are no longer children and become puzzled and confused about their present and future roles in life. Context and Importance of Identity Crisis You may recall a time
A widely read book by Erik H. Erikson launched a set of ideas that stimulated the formulation of the concept of identity status. Writing from a psychoanalytic perspective, Erikson construed that individuals at each stage of life (e.g., infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood) have a crisis to resolve, with all positive resolutions enhancing the foundation of
Group Identity Definition Group identity refers to a person’s sense of belonging to a particular group. At its core, the concept describes social influence within a group. This influence may be based on some social category or on interpersonal interaction among group members. On one hand, if we consider the case of athletic teams, a
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple-personality disorder, is one of the more controversial diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition; DSM-IV), with there being considerable disagreement over the validity and etiology of the disorder. Amnesia between identities is central to a diagnosis of DID. While explicit memory tests
The problem of identity is where psychology merges with culture. Human beings are biological creatures, to be sure. But among the myriad species on our planet, we are strongly given to the absorption of story into our being, so that we are self-consciously biographical creatures, needing reminders from time to time that we are animals
All children learn that they are either male or female, but what meaning do they give to the fact that they are one sex and not the other? In all cultures, boys and girls are expected to behave differently, and thus it is likely that children worldwide occasionally reflect on questions such as these: Am
In our increasingly diverse society, issues of race and ethnicity have become of utmost interest to psychologists. Ethnic identity refers to a person’s social identity within a larger context based on membership in a cultural or social group. Research about ethnic identity has come from various disciplines, including psychology, sociology, and anthropology and thus has
Originally developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner to understand the psychological bases of intergroup discrimination, social identity theory seeks to explain the psychological and social bases for intergroup behavior and has more recently been used to also understand intragroup processes. Social identity theory can be used in the contexts of multicultural counseling, research, and
Social Identity Theory Definition and History Social identity theory explains how the self-concept is associated with group membership and group and intergroup behavior. I t defines group membership in terms of people’s identification, definition, and evaluation of themselves as members of a group (social identity) and specifies cognitive, social interactive and societal processes that interact
Identity exists along a spectrum that ranges from the personal to the social. The personal end of this spectrum is constituted by the distinctive combination of attributes that an individual deems relevant to his or her self-concept (e.g., being shy or tall). The social end of this spectrum, in contrast, is constituted by the extent
This article explores the intricate relationship between gender identity and testosterone therapy within the realm of health psychology. The introduction elucidates the foundational concepts of gender identity and testosterone, emphasizing their significance in the field. The body of the article unfolds in three parts, firstly exploring the biological underpinnings of gender identity, encompassing prenatal and
This article delves into the intricate relationship between body image and identity in individuals post-organ transplant, exploring the profound psychological adjustments necessitated by such life-altering medical procedures. Beginning with an introduction to the concepts of body image and its significance in psychological well-being, the discourse navigates through the intricate challenges transplant recipients face, including stress