Identity and the development of the self

Augusto Blasi

pp. 226-242

in: Daniel K. Lapsley, F. C. Power (eds), Self, ego, and identity, Berlin, Springer, 1988

Abstract

Over 40 years ago, Erikson (1946, 1950) introduced in psychology the concept of identity. This concept must have resonated with the psychologists' intuition or experience. In fact, identity was soon accepted as representing a very important step in normal human development and gave origin to a long list of empirical studies, even though Erikson's overall theory of personality development was frequently left aside and, at times, even dismissed.