Procedures and Data Collection – Realizing What I Don’t Know (part 2)

Once I abandoned Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a conceptual framework, I struggled to find something that could provide the structure for my research question #1: What factors influence the crafting of identity for performers in virtual worlds? In order to understand how this happens in virtual spaces, you first have to understand how it happens in the physical world. Almost by accident I stumbled on the work of Erik Erikson (1902-1994), whose work in developmental psychology led him to research identity (and identity crisis). His book, Identity: Youth and Crisis (1968) provided me with something of a map on how a healthy identity develops from birth to young adulthood. His graphic framework eight developmental phases (the first four presented in this post):

Phase 1: Temporal Perspective (in healthy development) vs. Time Confusion (unhealthy development). This is in the early stages of infancy where a baby can begin to distinguish things that have a time perspective vs. an impatience with delayed gratification. It is an “I want it now because I don’t trust you to give it to me later” statement.

Phase 2: Self-certainty (self esteem) vs. Self-consciousness (appearance in the eyes of others). This is a period of self-exploration in the development of autonomy from one’s structure. For toddlers, this is an “I do it myself” phase. For adults who seem to need to revisit this phase, it is a self-discovery mechanism. The healthy toddler will develop autonomy from one’s parents; the opposite problem is the development of low self-esteem. Because this typically happens at an early age, an interruption in this process might cause long-term effects in the formation of healthy sense of value. Wouldn’t it make sense to explore one’s value in a virtual world if this is an issue in real life?

Phase 3: Role Experimentation vs. Role Fixation. This is where a child can experiment freely with roles. How many of us “played” cowboy, or nurse, or fireman? How is this different, in essence, than experimenting with a role as an avatar? The opposite effect is to have a role assigned to us (not of our choosing). Did you have to take piano lessons when you were young? Did you have to be the caretaker for younger siblings? If we are assigned a role, it might inhibit the healthy development of the identity of our own choosing.

Phase 4: Apprenticeship vs. Work Paralysis. This is where a young person will either develop the skills and the ability to use the technology and tools of their time, or they will develop a deep sense of inadequacy in their own gifts and talents, given the immediate social environment. In the literal sense, this can be an indicator of class struggle, where family income can predispose one child toward productive advancement and another child toward inferiority.