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Identity And Identity Essay

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The first role that identity plays in is social influence. A person’s identity can influence whether that person is likely to show obedience or to conform. During their childhood, most individuals are taught to obey their parents, teachers, and other authority figures. This becomes a social norm in one’s own identity. Someone who has a strong sense of their own identity is more likely to exhibit independence instead of conforming. However, if the person does not want to damage their identity, they may show normative influence and conform in order to avoid being judged by their group. Informational influence can occur when a person is not confident in themselves and chooses to believe that others have more accurate information. This can happen when a person does not trust in their identity and relies on others for to help reduce their uncertainty. Identity also plays a role in intimate relationships. When in a relationship, a person will tend to expand their self-concept by including some aspects of their partner in their identity. It is common in a relationship to adopt the partner’s mannerisms, vocabulary, and traits to add to one’s self-schemas. This results in self-other overlap and helps explain why one’s own identity is often lost or altered when the relationship ends. As an individual’s identity continues to form, their preferred attachment styles start to influence intimate relationships. Levels of self-esteem and trust in another are two factors in one’s identity

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