Question: Describe two different methods that have been used to study the concept of identity and comment on their limitations.
Answer: In this essay I will describe and explore the limitations of the Semi Structured Interview as used by Marcia (1966, 1980, 1994) to gather evidence in support of the “Ego Identity Theory”; the Minimal Group experiments that Tajfel et al.(1971) used in the development of Social Identity Theory (SIT). I will assess the possible influences that the researchers and participants may have on the interpretation of data, the need for controls, clear understanding of possible confounding variables and the effect of sample size on the significance of data.
Ego Identity theorists claim that identity is mainly a personal vision, a core identity, derived from progression through normative crises in our adolescence. The main premise of SIT is that our identity is derived by self-categorisation/identification with social groups and that we are influenced in our choice of group by its power and so...(short extract)
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- Subject: Psychology
- Course: Research Methods
- Level: Degree
- Year: 1st
- Mark: 74%
- Words: 1815
- Date submitted: January 21, 2009
- Date written: January, 2003
- References: Yes
- Document type: Essay*
- Essay ID: 234
