This study builds on Erik Erikson's "Identity: Youth and Crisis," and describes in detail what social possibilities the adolescent usually considers when cognitively searching the environment, and describes how the understanding of the possibilities enhances or thwarts identity formation. (Author/KC)

There exists an overriding need to rethink our cognitive and perceptual approaches to the problem of inter-group living and the development of an ethnic person identity in terms of human behavior and development. Two conceptual models are needed: Socialization is a matter of learning about man-made structure; and individuation is a matter of…

The paper defines and discusses various social learning theories. Central to most theories of how an individual acquires socially acceptable behaviors are the processes of imitation, or observational learning, and identification, or modeling. The effectiveness of each process is noted. (SB)