2011

According to Erik Erikson, the basic task for adolescents is to explore and create a more complete identity (Miller, 2002). Adolescence is the developmental period in which there are increases in autonomy, physiological changes, and cognitive gains. Youth are exposed to a greater variety of situations and experiences (Neblett, Smalls, Ford, Nguyen, & Sellers, 2009). They have to negotiate an identity that is appropriate for the new needs, skills, and goals. This process can be complicated by one’s minority-group status (Miller, 2002). With increased exposure to the world, race becomes increasingly salient for minority adolescents. They are pressured to consider the personal significance and meaning of race (Neblett et al., 2009). Therefore, the process of racial identity development in this period is very important for their identity integration.