Original article
Identity styles, dimensions, statuses, and functions: Making connections among identity conceptualizationsStyles, dimensions, statuts et fonctions d’identité : établir des liens entre les différentes conceptualisations de l’identité

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2012.09.001Get rights and content

Abstract

Introduction

Identity styles (Berzonsky, 1989), identity dimensions and statuses (Marcia, 1966, Crocetti et al., 2008a), and identity functions (Adams & Marshall, 1996) represent important identity conceptualizations. However, the interrelationships among these constructs are not well understood.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the connections between these identity conceptualizations.

Method

Participants were 1158 Italian youth (38% males), aged 17 to 22 years. These participants completed self-report identity measures.

Results

Findings indicated that informational and normative styles, and commitment and in-depth exploration were positively associated with identity functions; whereas diffuse-avoidant style and reconsideration of commitment were negatively related to identity functions. Finally, meaningful differences on identity functions between the statuses were detected.

Discussion

Identity is a multi-faceted construct that has to be studied integrating various conceptualizations.

Résumé

Le but de cette étude était d’examiner les liens entre les processus à la base du développement de l’identité et les fonctions que remplit l’identité. En particulier, nous avons tenté de dégager les liens qui existent entre les styles d’identité (identity styles : Berzonsky, 1989), les dimensions d’identité (Crocetti, Rubini, & Meeus, 2008) et les statuts d’identité (Crocetti, Rubini, Luyckx, & Meeus, 2008), d’une part, et les fonctions de l’identité (Adams & Marshall, 1996), d’autre part. Notre échantillon était composé de 1158 jeunes Italiens (dont 38 % de sexe masculin), âgés de 17 à 22 ans. Nos résultats indiquent que les styles informationnels et normatifs, ainsi que l’engagement et une évaluation réfléchie des engagements en cours sont associés positivement aux fonctions d’identité alors que le style diffus-détaché ainsi que la reconsidération de l’engagement sont négativement associés aux fonctions d’identité. Finalement, nous avons constaté des écarts significatifs de fonctions d’identité selon le statut.

Section snippets

The identity style model

Berzonsky (1989) postulated that individuals use different social-cognitive strategies or processing orientations to deal with or avoid the task of identity formation: informational, normative, and diffuse-avoidant. Adolescents utilizing an informational orientation are self-reflective and actively seek out and evaluate self-relevant information. Those with a normative orientation more automatically adopt prescriptions and values from significant others and conform to these others’

The three-factor identity dimensional model

Since the mid-1980s, European scholars (Bosma, 1985, Luyckx et al., 2006b, Meeus, 1996, Meeus et al., 1999) have identified multiple forms of commitment and exploration involved in the identity formation process. The consideration of multiple forms of commitment and exploration, along with the use of more refined, person-centered, and data-driven classification methods (e.g., cluster analysis, latent class analysis), have produced additional variants of Marcia's original identity statuses

The identity functions model

A further important contribution to the identity field has been that of Adams (Adams and Marshall, 1996, Serafini and Adams, 2002), focusing on the “functions” of identity. Drawing upon the Eriksonian notion that identity fulfills a self-regulatory function, Adams and Marshall (1996) proposed a model including five identity functions. First, identity provides individuals with a sense of structure with which to understand self-relevant information. Second, identity provides a sense of

Gender differences in identity

Gender may be of importance in identity formation (Lewis, 2003, Schwartz et al., 2006). However, gender differences have been consistently documented for some identity constructs but not for others (Kroger, 1997). More specifically, regarding identity styles, a recent meta-analysis (Bosch & Card, 2012) has indicated no significant gender differences for the informational identity style, a trivial gender difference for the normative identity style (mean r = 0.04) where women scored higher than men;

Age differences in identity

Similarly to gender differences, age patterns have been found to be more evident for some identity conceptualizations than for others. In particular, although the effect sizes are quite modest, there is some evidence for developmental changes in identity style scores: as adolescents and young adults mature, they tend to rely more on the informational style (cf. Berzonsky, 2011).

Klimstra et al. (2010) examined longitudinal changes in identity dimensions. They found maturational changes in

The present study

On the basis of the literature reviewed so far, the primary purpose of the present study was to examine the connections between the processes underlying identity development and the functions that identity provides. Specifically, we sought to ascertain the associations of identity styles (Berzonsky, 1989), identity dimensions (Crocetti et al., 2008b), and identity statuses (Crocetti et al., 2008a, Meeus et al., 2010) to identity functions (Adams & Marshall, 1996). In the areas of identity

Participants

Participants were 1158 Italian youth (435 males and 723 females), aged 17 to 22 years (Mage = 19.43 years, SD = 1.17). Two age groups were represented in the sample: a late adolescent group and an emerging adult group. The late adolescent group consisted of 389 students (152 males and 237 females) in their last year of secondary school (Mage = 18.30 years, SD = 0.64; age range 17–19).1

Procedure

Before the study was conducted, permission to administer questionnaires was obtained from the principals of the high schools and the deans of the university faculties. For late adolescents younger than 18, parental consent was also obtained. Students were contacted in high schools or in university buildings by a researcher. They were provided with written information about the research and asked if they wished to participate. Approximately 99% of the students who were approached chose to

Identity styles

The Italian version (Crocetti, Rubini, Berzonsky, & Meeus, 2009) of the revised Identity Style Inventory (ISI-3; Berzonsky, 1992) was used. This measure consists of 30 items with a response scale ranging from 1 (not at all like me) to 5 (very much like me). Sample items include: “I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking seriously about what I should do with my life” and “When making important decisions I like to have as much information as possible” (information-oriented style; 11 items); “I

Measurement models

As a preliminary step, we tested a measurement model in which ISI, U-MICS, and FIS items were used as indicators of latent variables corresponding to identity styles (i.e., informational, normative, and diffuse-avoidant), dimensions (i.e., commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment in the educational and interpersonal domains), and functions (i.e., structure, harmony, goal, future, and personal control), respectively. We performed these Confirmatory Factor Analyses

Discussion

The present study was designed to shed light on associations among identity conceptualizations that have expanded Erikson, 1950, Erikson, 1968 and Marcia's (1966) classic theoretical perspectives. Specifically, we have examined, in a large sample of Italian late adolescents and emerging adults, links among identity styles, dimensions, statuses, and functions. Given that identity functions represent outcomes of the identity development process, we sought to map the associations between these

Conclusion

Despite these limitations, the present results are among the first to explore the associations of identity dimensions, styles, and statuses with outcomes (functions) of identity. This is a key research direction because it emphasizes the consequences — and therefore the importance — of developing a sense of identity in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Further research might link the functions of identity to psychosocial and health outcomes to further demonstrate the importance of identity as

Disclosure of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest concerning this article.

Acknowledgements

Elisabetta Crocetti is a Marie Curie fellow at the Utrecht university, The Netherlands.

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