Cont. Discovering Your Identity
People often focus on different parts of their identities at different ages. During early childhood, children typically define themselves by their _______ . This includes children's physical characteristics and abilities. For example, a four- or five-year-old boy may describe himself as a tall boy with black hair and green eyes who runs fast.
As children enter middle childhood, around six years of age, their focus often shifts to their _______ . Social identity is a person’s connection to other people, including family and friends. It is also a person’s relationship with cultural, ethnic, political, national, and religious groups in a community. Children may define their social identities by focusing on these connections. As children age, their interests expand, and they get involved in new activities. They begin to interact more with friends, family, and community members. Children want to be a part of social groups with people who share similar interests.
During the teen years, teens tend to focus on their unique personal qualities and _______ . They define themselves in terms of their personal values, beliefs, and attitudes. Values are the things a person considers to be the most important in life. Personal beliefs are ideas or thoughts a person knows to be true, based on real experiences, scientific facts, or what a person has learned from others. Attitudes are set ways a person thinks or feels about someone or something. A person’s psychological identity can be a combination of many _______ , _______ , and _______ , which often change throughout life.