GATE 2021 XH5 – Question 59
Erikson’s fifth developmental stage is identity versus role confusion. Which of these may arise in relation to an identity crisis?
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Correct answer: (A) Identity diffusion; (B) Identity moratorium
Explanation
The official key selects A,B. Diffusion denotes lacking a settled commitment; moratorium denotes active exploration without commitment. Foreclosure is a recognised identity status, but it involves commitment without a prior exploratory crisis, which explains its exclusion under the question’s crisis-focused wording. “Identity perception” is not a standard status. The question compresses distinctions later formalised in Marcia’s identity-status framework; it should not imply that foreclosure is nonexistent.