Correlates of Identity Configurations: Three Studies with Adolescent and Emerging Adult Cohorts

Y

17

Psychological Needs; Age; Adolescents; Correlation; Self Concept; Young Adults; Developmental Stages; Ideology; Behavior Problems; Profiles

10.1007/s10964-011-9702-2

0047-2891

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are two core developmental periods in which individuals can develop a meaningful identity across domains. However, there is a lack of studies exploring correlates of different identity configurations. The purpose of this article was to fill this gap in examining correlates of configurations characterized by identity stability or instability in both ideological and relational domains or identity stability in one domain and instability in the other domain. Three studies were presented. In the first study, we investigated links between identity configurations and internalizing problem behaviors in early and middle adolescents (N = 1,891; M [subscript age] = 14; 55% female); in the second study, we focused on associations between identity configurations and identity functions in late adolescents and early emerging adults (N = 1,085; M [subscript age] = 19; 63% female); in the third study, we investigated relationships between identity configurations, sense of coherence, and basic psychological need satisfaction in emerging adults (N = 489; M [subscript age] = 21; 71% female). Overall, findings highlighted that participants experiencing a condition of identity stability in both domains reported a better profile than their peers displaying a condition of instability in both realms. Further, individuals with identity stability only in one domain reported intermediate scores and the effect provided by each domain varied according to the correlate examined and the age group taken into account. Implications of these findings are discussed.

As Provided

87

2012

EJ965670