A Conceptual
Framework for
Examining
Adolescent Identity,
Media Influence
and Social
Development
Blake Te’Neil Lloyd
Prepared by: Kath
Martha Muryanto [20190255]
Presentation Outline
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Research objectives
 The
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How Media affects adolescence
Theories used in the research
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
background of the research
conceptual/theoretical underpinnings (framework) of the
author's work
Further study (recommendation for further research)
Research objectives

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How cognitive, social, and biological developments
take part in constructing the overall child's identity
The effect of adolescents live in an environment
saturated with technology, multiculturalism, and
mass media imagery.
Examines the implications that mass media devices
(i.e., the Internet, video gaming, and television
viewing) have for adolescent development, in
particular adolescent social competence
How media attracts adolescents

Media and technologies become increasingly interesting
and entertaining.
More probable that adolescence will adopt and use media as a
toll for understanding self and others
 Adolescence use technologies to rehearse interactions with peers
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Therefore, the consumption of media does not
necessarily negate the normal developmental cognitive
functioning in adolescent. It simply provides new
opportunities for learning.
Media has also become one of the most prevalent ways
in which adolescences gather information about their
environment.
First theory of mass communication
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Initiated in the 1920s
Instinctive Stimulus – Response (S-R) Theory
Media merely ‘sent forth messages that were
received and obeyed by the masses –nothing’
mediated in the middle.
Theorists -Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Perspective
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Behaviour : a function of the interaction between the
person and the environment
Human behaviour in context: situational, interpersonal,
sociological, cultural, historical, and, of course, theoretical
Bronfenbrenner articulated four major systems that
represent the context for child development:
 Microsystem –immediate setting containing that person
 Mesosystem –system of microsystems through which
different settings are linked
 Exosystem
 Macrosystem –broad societal blueprint
Bronfenbrenner's Theory (Cont.)

The limitation of this model is that it cannot
capture the dynamic nature of interactions
between the developing person and the
surrounding environment.
Another model proposed by Bronfenbrenner, the
bioecological model that argues for the distinct
importance of four elements in environmental
research designs: person, process, context, and
time.
Identity and Adolescence –the
relationship in between
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Identity : the ability to relate with self, the continuity
of experience, ethnic, ethical and economic make up
and character and the ability to make meaning of
context and experience.
The significance of adolescence stage:
It is the period in which individuals have the
requisite cognitive abilities to complete the process
of identity formation.
Blos’ Theory

“character” refers to “identity”
To be able to get to adolescence stage, preadolescences have to master four challenges:

1.
2.
3.
4.
The second individuation process
Reworking and mastering of childhood trauma
Ego continuity
Sexual identity
Sullivan, Cooley and Mead’s Theory
They observed interpersonal relationship to help
explain the self.
 Sullivan stated that ‘all that is the self-system arises
in interpersonal relations’.
 Three modes of experiences (which are expression
of inner thoughts of the individual):
· Prototaxic
· Parataxic
· Syntaxic

Loevinger
-‘identity in framework of the ego’
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‘The ego is the master trait of personality that forms
the basis of identity’
‘Stages of ego development’:
 The
impulsive, self-protective conformist stage
(transitional stage)
 The conscientious stage
 The individualistic stage
 The autonomous stage
 The integrated stage
Elkind
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‘Major developmental task of early adolescence
concerns adolescence’s ability to access thought’ –
adolescence starts to ‘conceptualise their thoughts and
the thoughts of others’
Adolescences expect ‘reactions of other people to them’
–they always ‘constructing, or reacting to, an imaginary
audience’
Elkind stated that ‘adolescent’s egocentrism is overcome
by twofold transformation’.
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Cognitively
Affectively
Erikson’s identity formation
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The most important stage: stage 5 (Identity vs. Identity
confusion)
It is preceded by ‘trust, autonomy and initiative’
Identity: ‘adolescent’s active search for their role,
contemplation of personal strengths and weaknesses and
simultaneous synthesis of past, present and future life
experiences’
The relationship between media and identity:
It is significant for adolescence to construct an identity and
they are ‘constantly seeking out information about
themselves from others within specific context’. For instance,
through ‘peer interaction’ and media.
Ethnic Identity
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‘A sense of connectedness to ethnic group in
addition to cognitive, emotional and behavioural
correlates of belonging to particular ethnic group’ –
it is important for both majority and minority youths.
Cooley and Mead’s Symbolic
Interactionist Theory
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Symbolic interactionists acknowledge the
significance of ‘communication and more precisely
language, as both an interpersonal and
intrapersonal medium by which culture, socially
structured’ circumstances, ‘interpersonal relationships
and social identities are’ constructed and sustained
in personal point of view.
Conclusion
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Comparison between theories
Waterman, Erikson and Marcia, all three, stated
that ‘attempts to describe the same referent but
that each theorist has sought to focus on different
descriptive elements and on different functions the
concept serves in human endeavours’.
Marcia and Waterman both have observed the
‘commitment aspect of identity’ construction.
However, it is significant to acknowledge other
stages of identity formation as put forth by Erikson.
Further study
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An adolescents response to mass media is a
cognitive process, however it can indicate the coping
method of an adolescent (PVEST)
Cognitive interpretations of different points in time
could identify the impact of mass media on many
aspects including enthnic identity, gender roles and
personal identity.
How mass media influences social development as
well as the adolescent view of self and peer
interactions.
Further study (Cont.)
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AIMSS framework could be used to assist and guide
further research by:
The development of instruments that are able to
analyse media influences amongst diverse adult
populations. These methods need to utilise media outlets
including the music industry and the internet (which are
both of interest to adolescences).
Developmental theory can be used to influence the
study of mass media as it assist to identify ecological
and individual variables that underpin views and
patterns of consumption. Individual characteristics
include age, gender, ethnicity etc. whereas ecological
includes peer and family culture.
Further study (Cont.)
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The conceptualisation of key developmental tasks could
assist preventative intervention strategies that influence
negative outcomes during adolescence. An
understanding of reactive behaviours during
adolescence within the context of violence in the media.
Study of adolescents who identify with behaviours and
prosocial messages from the media. By allowing
adolescents to express their views and perceptions of
the media, adults will be able to understand the
proactive schemas that adolescents use in their lives.
Having the view that adolescence is a period of 'storm
and strife' the connections of adults to adolescents
becomes threatened.
The approach which may be most
fruitful in addressing the issue
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AIMSS: An Integrated Framework for examining
Identity, Media and Socio-Cognitive Schemas.
AIMSS incorporates the different theoretical
perspectives into a comprehensive framework that
identifies the importance of:
ecology
 salient developmental tasks
 Process
 relevant outcomes
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All four components need to be considers to ensure
accurate analysis of the impact of mass media on the
developmental period of adolescence.
AIMSS
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AIMSS frameworks aims to analyse the way in
which the mass media influences the socialisation of
adolescents.
In order to analyse the impacts the interaction
between the following components need to be
considered:
 Mass
media devices
 Adolescent socio-cognitive processing and;
 Adolescent identity formation
AIMSS (Cont.)
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How is AIMSS applied to adolescents?
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Social competence: Identity formation is the salient
development task. This needs to be considered within
a larger ecological context including family
composition.
Cognitive process of identity formation: The
adolescent is able to 'try on' different selves including
status, racial identity, feelings of inclusion/exclusions
from social groups within the context of family or
social circle.
What if scenarios
AIMSS (Cont.)
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Considerations of the two socio-cognitive schemas
that adolescents can use to organise media images:
 Proactive
 Reactive
 Reactive
coping methods
AIMSS (Cont.)
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Further discussion:
An adolescents response to mass media is a cognitive
process, however it can indicate the coping method of
an adolescent (PVEST)
Cognitive interpretations of different points in time
could identify the impact of mass media on many
aspects including ethnic identity, gender roles and
personal identity.
How mass media influences social development as well
as the adolescent view of self and peer interactions.
Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths
The author recognise the changing environment which also
influences the alteration in the conceptualisation of
adolescent's development.
 This article also looks at broad perspective of adolescent's
life -that it does not occur within a single designated
theoretical confine
 The researcher is also looks identity from many different
points of view

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Weakness
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The stage of identity formation may not be able to be
generalised as adolescence may have different experiences
Summary of the article
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Adolescent identity formation and social competence is formed in the context of
media development and adolescent development.
The student of adolescence has moved from a narrow focus to a study of the
different developmental processes related to adolescence.
Several researchers believe that social, cognitive and biological development
contribute to adolescents and their general feeling of well being.
Theoretical perspectives and the understanding of the different developmental
stages of adolescence needs to be understood in the context of the times in which
they are studied. Furthermore, relevant historical frameworks need to be considered
as too the multiple areas of human development in the context of contemporary
society.
There are current models of adolescent development, however there is yet to be a
comprehensive model that incorporates the socio-cultural aspects of the 21st
Century.
Adolescent development and identity formation is influenced by mass media
including the internet, television and video-gaming.
AIMSS framework is embedded in the theories of mass communication theory and
symbolic interactionist theory which is embedded in ecological theory.
Theories of mass communication can be linked to the origins of sociology - ideas of
community, social solidarity and social order.
Summary (Cont.)
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First theory of mass communication was 'Instinctive Stimulus- Response (S-R) theory The idea that the media puts forward ideas that are accepted and obeyed by the
people.
Over time mass communication theories changed along with psychological and
sociological changes.
Individual differences theorist believe that people are selective to what information
from mass media that they will chose to accept and process. People will accept
information that in accordance to pre-existing beliefs and attitudes. People of
similar social class or demographic will likely have similar responses to mass media
information.
Social critics and social theorists support the belief that mass communication has the
ability to influence people's behaviour and what is considered the norm in social
behaviour. They believe that violent media images can encourage violent behaviour
in children.
Summary (Cont.)
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The author considered that the media reveals to adolescents what is
considered to be appropriate versus inappropriate behaviours that
can be observed and viewed in a voyeuristic manner. The author
argues that adolescence does not develop without the influence of
mass media as this is the means in which young people today other
information about the world in which they live and the attitudes of
society on drugs, alcohol, smoking and sexuality.
Previous studies on the impact of T.V on the development of
adolescence has been limited to studying the negative impacts of T.V
(aggressive behaviour etc.) rather than the influence of T.V on
empathy etc.
theoretical frameworks need to consider the influence of other forms of
mass media rather than focussing on T.V. Since 1999 there has been an
increase in the accessibility of the internet and it's interactive competent
(messaging, chat, game playing).
Roberts and Christenson (2001) argue that adolescent mass media
preferences change between early to late adolescence.
References
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Blake, Te’Neil Lloyd (2002) A conceptual framework
for examining adolescent identity, media influence,
and social development, Review of General
Psychology, 6(1): 73-91.
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