Summarise two different psychological approaches to identity. How has each been used to further our understanding of this concept?

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Summarise two different psychological approaches to identity. How has each been used to further our understanding of this concept?

Identity is a topic in psychology studied by many theorists. The term identity is used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations. A commonly used psychological method of studying identity is the 'I am' method. This is a simple, everyday exercise and has been used by psychologists since the discipline began. The Twenty Statements test is one which was used by the founders of psychology to help them study identity. It basically asks people to write down twenty statements to the question 'who am i?'.

Erik Erikson believed that identity is developed in a series of stages. The eight stages which he described occur over a person's lifetime and he developed this theory from naturalistic observations, clinical work and his own experiences. He believes that each stage is all about becoming competent in an area of life. If a stage is handled well, it provides the foundation for the next stage. If handled poorly, then the individual will feel a sense of inadequacy. The development of ego