Die Entwicklung von identitäts-stabilisierenden Prozessen im Jugendalter – das Beispiel „Immunisierung”

Abstract. Although the development and maintenance of the individual’s self-concept is the most important developmental task during adolescence, the development of self-stabilizing processes has not been thoroughly investigated. The ontogenesis of self-stabilizing processes will prove to be a complicated process since during this very developmental period a differentiated and sufficiently realistic self-concept must be developed as well. Self-immunization is introduced as a prototypical mechanism that integrates both adaptation to reality and stabilization of the self. Immunization works by adjusting individual operationalizations of self-concept domains or facets to subjectively experienced competencies. It is argued that the function of self-immunization should shift from defending one’s global self-esteem to a more specific (and less global) self-stabilization. A pilot study with a sample of 1,337 juveniles (12 to 22 years) reveals that the buffering effect of self-immunization for global self-esteem against various burdens is significantly more pronounced in early adolescence than it is in late adolescence.