When developing a plan of care for a male adolescent, the nurse considers the child’s psychosocial needs. During adolescence, psychosocial development focuses on:
A. Becoming industrious
B. Establishing an identity
C. Achieving intimacy
D. Developing initiative
Correct Answer: B. Establishing an identity
According to Erikson, the primary psychosocial task during adolescence is to establish a personal identity confusion. The adolescent attempts to establish a group identity by seeking acceptance and approval from peers and strives to attain a personal identity by becoming more independent from the family.
Option A: Becoming industrious is the developmental task of the school-age child. It is at this stage that the child’s peer group will gain greater significance and will become a major source of the child’s self-esteem. The child now feels the need to win approval by demonstrating specific competencies that are valued by society and begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments.
Option C: Achieving intimacy is the task of the young adult. During this stage, young adults begin to share themselves more intimately with others. They explore relationships leading toward longer-term commitments with someone other than a family member.
Option D: Developing initiative is the task of the preschooler. During this period the primary feature involves the child regularly interacting with other children at school. Central to this stage is play, as it provides children with the opportunity to explore their interpersonal skills through initiating activities.