Identity is the trait and characteristics, social relations, roles, and social group memberships that

define who one is. It can be simply said as the process of finding our true self.
James Marcia is a Canadian developmental
psychologist who expanded Erik Eriksons
concept of crisis and identity confusion.
Marcias concept of identity centers on
adolescents development.
He believed that identity is based influence by
two things:
1) Occupation refers to the main role in the
society.
2) Ideology refers to the set of fundamental
beliefs about religion, politics,
economics, etc.
Marcias theory of identity achievement argues that two distinct parts form an adolescents
identity:
1) crisis It refers to the time when ones values and choices are being reevaluated. It creates
internal conflict and emotional upheaval, thereby causing adolescents to examine and
question their values, beliefs, and goals.
2) commitment It refers to a resolved crisis.
Marcia proposed that there are four major identity statuses, or degrees to which a person has
achieved a set identity.
Marcia used the term identity status to label and describe four unique developmental identity
stations or points. These are: identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, moratorium, and identity
achievement. Each identity status represents a configuration of youth's progress with regard to
identity exploration and commitment to the values, beliefs, and goals that contribute to identity.
Though the different identity statuses are in some sense progressive (in the sense that they flow
one to the next), Marcia's theory does not assume that every adolescent will pass through and
experience all four identity statuses. Some youth may experience only one or two identity
statuses during adolescence. Additionally, there is no assumption that a youth's identity status is
uniform across all aspects of their development. Youth may have different identity statues across
different domains such as work, religion, and politics. In this sense, it is possible for youth to
have more than one identity status at a time.
Identity Statuses are the following:

Identity Diffusion the status in which the adolescent does not have a sense of having choices;
he or she has not yet made (nor is attempting/willing to make) a commitment.
Identity Foreclosure the status in which the adolescent seems willing to commit to some
relevant roles, values, or goals for the future. Adolescents in this stage have not experienced an
identity crisis. They tend to conform to the expectations of others regarding their future (e. g.

allowing a parent to determine a career direction) As such, these individuals have not explored a
range of options.
Identity Moratorium the status in which the adolescent is currently in a crisis, exploring
various commitments and is ready to make choices, but has not made a commitment to these
choices yet.
Identity Achievement the status in which adolescent has gone through a identity crisis and has
made a commitment to a sense of identity (i.e. certain role or value) that he or she has chosen
Note that the above status are not stages and should not viewed as a sequential process.