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Identity Coping in the First Years of University: Identity Diffusion, Adjustment and Identity Distress

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Abstract

In today’s advanced post-capitalist societies, consolidating identity with a view to acquiring adult roles is more complex than in the past. In Italy, the changes in the educational system are also associated with changes in the labor market characterized by lack of opportunity and instability. Therefore, young people on the threshold of university are discouraged from making long-term decisions and developing a coherent identity. The aim of the study was to explore what modalities Italian students adopt in order to cope with developmental tasks and how they proceed to negotiate and resolve identity-related concerns. The participants were 332 Italian students, balanced by gender, attending the first 2 years of university and aged 18–25. We used six self-report measures: Dimensions of Identity Development Scale; Identity Stage Resolution Index; Identity Distress Scale; Locus of Control Scale; Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale; and Depressive Symptom Subscale and Anxiety Symptom Subscale. Participation was voluntary, and anonymity was guaranteed. Findings indicate that identity processes, identity distress and sense of adulthood are related dimensions. We find five different modalities of identity coping (clusters) that identify different subjects. These retained clusters have also an effect on psychosocial correlates. Results advance the literature linking identity, sense of adulthood and coping with developmental tasks in emerging adulthood. Findings also support previous literature suggesting that coping with identity during first years of university is an important target of prevention efforts aimed at improving academic performance and identification of developmental path, particularly for individuals who exhibit identity diffusion and distress.

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Notes

  1. The National Statistics Institute is a governmental research organization. It has been present in the country since 1926; it is the main producer of official statistics supporting citizens and decision makers. It is an independent body and continually interacts with the academic and scientific worlds.

  2. NEET refers to the English acronym: ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Humanities, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Porta di Massa, 1, 80133, Naples, Italy

    Luigia Simona Sica & Laura Aleni Sestito

  2. Department of Political Sciences, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

    Giancarlo Ragozini

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  1. Luigia Simona Sica
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  2. Laura Aleni Sestito
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  3. Giancarlo Ragozini
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Correspondence to Luigia Simona Sica.

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Sica, L.S., Aleni Sestito, L. & Ragozini, G. Identity Coping in the First Years of University: Identity Diffusion, Adjustment and Identity Distress. J Adult Dev 21, 159–172 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-014-9188-8

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