Question

Carl tends to act on whims. He has no stable set of beliefs, no coherent plans for his future, and is not attempting to develop any. He just sort of "lives for the moment." He is best described as having an identity status of ______.

Answer 1

Carl is best described as being in a state of identity diffusion according to Erik Erikson's stages of development, where he lacks a stable identity and has a weak sense of self.

Step-by-step explanation:

Carl is displaying characteristics of what Erik Erikson referred to as 'identity versus role confusion,' a stage particularly crucial during adolescence. Given Carl's tendency to live in the moment without a stable set of beliefs, coherent plans for his future, or effort towards developing a future-oriented identity, he is best described as having an identity status of diffusion. This is a phase where individuals may have a weak sense of self and experience uncertainty regarding their own identity and the future. Carl's lack of direction stands in contrast to those who actively engage in exploration and commitment to forge a strong sense of identity.

Answer 2

identity diffusion

Step-by-step explanation:

In psychology, a psychologist named James Marcia introduced the theory of identity development and said that there are four distinct stages or statuses of an individual's identity including diffusion, achievement, foreclosure, and moratorium.

Identity diffusion: The term "identity diffusion" is described as a process through which an individual tries to understand "who the person is". Identity diffusion generally occurs during adolescence in which the person hasn't figured out his or her social identity or well-defined personality traits as well as hasn't been indulged into seeking that.

In the question above, Carl is best described as having an identity status of identity diffusion.