In order to best describe identity salience hierarchy I would like to explore each part of this phrase and what it means. Identities can be defined as one's answers to the question 'who am I?" Many of the "answers" which might be the phrase "I am a daughter", are linked to the roles we occupy. They are often referred to as "role identities" or simply, "identities." For example, familial identities might include those of spouse, parent, child, and occupational identities might include those of teacher or waitress. In turn, these role identities influence our behaviors because each role has a set of associated meanings and expectations for the self. The higher an identity in the salience hierarchy, the greater the probability a person perceives a given situation as an opportunity to perform this role. The greater the commitment, the higher the identity salience is and the more positive is the evaluation of this identity. The higher the probability that role performance reflects institutionalized values and norms. Developing Identity Salience Hierarchy can help a person unify themselves from the multiple identities and roles that he or she takes on in their every day life. There are three things that are constantly influenced when we decide to choose different. Hierarchies. It grants us the foundation for deciding which situations we should become a part of and which ones we should avoid. Next, salience hierarchy effects how we act in different situations, or situational behavior. The third thing that salience hierarchy influences also deal with controlling how a person acts throughout a period of time. A person may have trouble with salience hierarchy as a child and young adult, and even undergo an identify crisis. To fix this a person has to reorganize their identify hierarchy, maybe with old social factors or new ones. .
I feel that I unfortunately experienced this identify crisis all throughout high school.