Skip to main content
Log in

Marcia and erikson: The relationships among ego identity status, neuroticism, dogmatism, and purpose in life

  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Implicit in James Marcia's writings and in the many studies that have employed his measure of ego identity is the assumption that his four ego identity statuses are developmentally ordered along a continuum from “being identity diffused” to “achieving” an ego identity. In order to assess the validity of this assumption, hypotheses were generated and tested concerning the relationship between the above ordering and Erikson's writings regarding the role played in the process of identity formation by the following three variables: neuroticism, dogmatism, and a sense of purpose in life. If one assumes that Erikson's perspective is valid, then the results of this study fail to support Marcia's continuum assumption. While some of the identity statuses appear to classify persons in a manner consistent with Erikson's writings, not one instance of the postulated ordering of Marcia's four statuses is observed. It is concluded that Marcia's measure is not an adequate operationalization of Erikson's perspective on identity formation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adorno, T. W., Frenkel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D. J., and Sanford, R. N. (1950).The Authoritarian Personality, Harper & Row, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourne, E. (1978a). The state of research on ego identity: A review and appraisal. Part I.J. Youth Adoles. 7: 223–251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourne, E. (1978b). The state of research on ego identity: A review and appraisal. Part II.J. Youth Adoles. 7: 371–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests.Psychometrika 16: 297–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crumbaugh, J. C., and Maholick, L. T. (1969).Manual for the Purpose-in-Life Test, Psychometric Affiliates, Munster, Ind.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1956). The problem of ego identity.J. Am. Psychoanalyt. Assoc. 4: 56–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1963).Childhood and Society, Norton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1964).Insight and Responsibility, Norton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1968a).Identity: Youth and Crisis, Norton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1968b). Psychosocial identity.Int. Encycloped. Soc. Sci. 7: 61–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1969).Gandhi's Truth, Norton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1975).Life History and the Historical Moment, Norton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1979).Identity and the Life Cycle: A Reissue, Norton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frankl, V. (1955).Man's Search for Meaning, Beacon, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Josselson, R. L. (1973). Psychodynamic aspects of identity formation in college women.J. Youth Adoles. 2: 3–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcia, J. E. (1965). Determination and construct validity of ego identity status. (Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 1964.)Diss. Abstr. 25: 6763. (University Microfilms No. 65-5606.)

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcia, J. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego identity status.J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 3: 551–558.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rokeach, M. (1960).The Open and Closed Mind, Basic Books, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheier, I. H., and Cattell, R. B. (1961).Handbook for the Neuroticism Scale Questionnaire “The NSQ”, Institute for Personality and Ability Testing, Champaign, Ill.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Interests include program evaluation and the empirical investigation of Eriksonian theory.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Côte, J.E., Levine, C. Marcia and erikson: The relationships among ego identity status, neuroticism, dogmatism, and purpose in life. J Youth Adolescence 12, 43–53 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02092113

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02092113

Keywords

Navigation