The Dynamics of Emotions and Life Cycle Identity

Abstract

Emotions are discussed as organizers and motivators in the dynamics of identity across the life span. Discrete emotions, functionalist, and dynamic systems approaches to emotion development are applied to issues of change and continuity in identity, considered within Erikson's psychosocial model of lifespan development (Erikson, 1963). The contributions of emotion to both identity-relevant processes (ex-ploration and commitment) and outcomes (the identity statuses of achievement, moratorium, foreclosure, and diffusion) are discussed. Two main premises guide this discussion. One is that individual differences in emotion help to identify paths along the trajectory of identity emergence, consolidation, and change. Another is that psychosocial transition phases, as marked by Eriksonian theory, are likely to be times of maximal influence between developments in the emotion system and psychosocial identity. A review of emotion development is presented that argues for the continued vitality of the emotion system throughout adulthood and that highlights the importance of negative emotion. As well, suggestions are offered for linking emotion development to adulthood identity stability and change. Excerpts from a biographical case study of Ingmar Bergman (Lahr, 1999) are presented as illustrative examples in the concluding sections.