Top

Gepubliceerd in:

01-11-2010 | Empirical Research

Why do Adolescents Gather Information or Stick to Parental Norms? Examining Autonomous and Controlled Motives Behind Adolescents’ Identity Style

Auteurs: Ilse Smits, Bart Soenens, Maarten Vansteenkiste, Koen Luyckx, Luc Goossens

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence | Uitgave 11/2010

Abstract

Self-determination theory (SDT) distinguishes between autonomous and controlled reasons for people’s behavior and essentially states that beneficial effects for individuals’ psychosocial adjustment will accrue when behavior is guided by autonomous (rather than controlled) motives. The present study tested this assumption in the area of adolescents’ identity styles. In a sample of mid-adolescents (N = 247; 53% female), it was found that the motives for using an information-oriented or a normative identity style explained additional variance beyond the identity styles as such in two of the adjustment outcomes examined. Specifically, autonomous motives underlying these two identity styles were positively related to commitment and personal well-being, whereas controlled motives were negatively related to these same adjustment outcomes. Perceived autonomy-supportive parenting was examined as a possible antecedent of the motives behind identity styles. Consistent with hypotheses, it was found that autonomy-supportive parenting was positively related to autonomous motives and negatively to controlled motives underlying identity styles. Implications for future research on the motivational dynamics behind identity development are discussed.

vorige artikel Understanding the Link Between Social and Emotional Well-Being and Peer Relations in Early Adolescence: Gender-Specific Predictors of Peer Acceptance

volgende artikel Self-Regulation in Early Adolescence: Relations with Mother–Son Relationship Quality and Maternal Regulatory Support and Antagonism

Arrindell, W. A., Heesink, J., & Feij, J. A. (1999). The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS): Appraisal with 1700 healthy young adults in The Netherlands. Personality and Individual Differences, 26, 815–826.CrossRef

Barber, B. K. (1996). Parental psychological control: Revisiting a neglected construct. Child Development, 67, 3296–3319.CrossRefPubMed

Beaumont, S. L., & Zukanovic, R. (2005). Identity development in men and its relation to psychological distress and self-worth. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 37, 70–81.

Berzonsky, M. D. (1989). Identity style: Conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Adolescent Research, 4, 268–282.CrossRef

Berzonsky, M. D. (1990). Self-construction over the life-span: A process perspective on identity formation. In G. J. Neimeyer & R. A. Neimeyer (Eds.), Advances in personal construct psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 155–186). Greenwich, CT: JAI press.

Berzonsky, M. D. (2003). Identity style and well-being: Does commitment matter? Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 3, 131–142.

Berzonsky, M. D. (2004a). Identity processing style, self-construction, and personal epistemic assumptions: A social-cognitive perspective. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 1, 303–315.CrossRef

Berzonsky, M. D. (2004b). Identity style, parental authority, and identity commitment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 33, 213–220.CrossRef

Berzonsky, M. D. (in press). A social-cognitive perspective on identity construction. In S. J. Schwartz, K. Luyckx, & V. L. Vignoles (Eds.), Handbook of identity theory and research. New York: Springer.

Berzonsky, M. D., & Adams, G. R. (1999). Reevaluating the identity status paradigm: Still useful after 35 years. Developmental Review, 19, 557–590.CrossRef

Berzonsky, M. D., Branje, S. J. T., & Meeus, W. (2007). Identity processing style, psychosocial resources, and adolescents’ perceptions of parent-adolescent relations. Journal of Early Adolescence, 27, 324–345.CrossRef

Berzonsky, M. D., & Kinney, A. (1995). [Identity processing orientation, need for structure, depressive reactions, and attributional style]. Unpublished data, State University of New York, Department of Psychology.

Berzonsky, M. D., & Kuk, L. (2000). Identity status, identity processing style, and the transition to university. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15, 81–98.CrossRef

Berzonsky, M. D., & Sullivan, C. (1992). Social-cognitive aspects of identity style: Need for cognition, experiential openness, and introspection. Journal of Adolescent Research, 7, 140–155.CrossRef

Billiet, J., & De Witte, H. (1991). Naar racisme neigende houdingen in Vlaanderen: Typologie en maatschappelijke achtergronden [Attitudes tending towards racism in Flanders: Typology and societal backgrounds]. Leuven: Sociologisch Onderzoeksinstituut (SOI).

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum.

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227–268.CrossRef

Diener, E., Emmons, E., Larsen, R., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.CrossRefPubMed

Duriez, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Soenens, B., & De Witte, H. (2007). The social costs of extrinsic relative to intrinsic goal pursuits: Their relation with social dominance and racial and ethnic prejudice. Journal of Personality, 75, 757–782.CrossRefPubMed

Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: Norton.

Flum, H., & Blustein, D. L. (2000). Reinvigorating the study of vocational exploration: A framework for research. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 56, 380–404.CrossRef

Franck, E., De Raedt, R., Barbez, C., & Rosseel, Y. (2008). Psychometric properties of the Dutch Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Psychologica Belgica, 48, 25–35.

Grolnick, W. S. (2003). The psychology of parental control: How well-meant parenting backfires. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Grolnick, W. S., Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1997). Internalization within the family: The self-determination theory perspective. In J. E. Grusec & L. Kuczynski (Eds.), Parenting and children’s internalization of values: A handbook of contemporary theory (pp. 78–99). Wiley: London.

Grolnick, W. S., Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (1991). Inner sources for school achievement: Motivational mediators of children’s perceptions of their parents. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83, 508–517.CrossRef

Hodgins, H. S., Koestner, R., & Duncan, N. (1996). On the compatibility of autonomy and relatedness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 227–237.CrossRef

Hooge, J., Decaluwé, L., & Goossens, L. (2000). Identiteit en psychisch welbevinden [Identity and well-being]. In H. De Witte, J. Hooge, & L. Walgrave (Eds.), Jongeren in Vlaanderen: Gemeten en geteld. 12- tot 18-jarigen over hun leefwereld en toekomst (pp. 35–58). Leuven, Belgium: Universitaire Pers Leuven.

Joussemet, M., Koestner, R., Lekes, N., & Landry, R. (2005). A longitudinal study of relationship of maternal autonomy support to children’s adjustment and achievement in school. Journal of Personality, 73, 1215–1235.CrossRefPubMed

Kaplan, A., & Flum, H. (2009). Motivation and identity: The relations of action and development in educational contexts. Educational Psychologist, 44, 73–77.CrossRef

Kling, K. C., Hyde, J. S., Showers, C. J., & Buswell, B. N. (1999). Gender differences in self-esteem: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 570–600.CrossRef

Luyckx, K., Goossens, L., Soenens, B., Beyers, W., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2005). Identity statuses based on four rather than two identity dimensions: Extending and refining Marcia’s paradigm. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 605–618.CrossRef

Luyckx, K., Lens, W., Smits, I., & Goossens, L. (in press). Time perspective and identity formation: Short-term longitudinal dynamics in college students. International Journal of Behavioral Development.

Luyckx, K., Schwartz, S. J., Berzonsky, M. D., Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Smits, I., et al. (2008). Capturing ruminative exploration: Extending the four-dimensional model of identity formation in late adolescence. Journal of Research in Personality, 42, 58–82.CrossRef

Luyckx, K., Soenens, B., Berzonsky, M. D., Smits, I., Goossens, L., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2007). Information-oriented identity processing, identity consolidation, and well-being: The moderating role of autonomy, self-reflection, and self-rumination. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 1099–1111.CrossRef

Matheis, S., & Adams, G. R. (2004). Family climate and identity styles during late adolescence. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 4, 77–95.

Neyrinck, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Duriez, B., & Hutsebaut, D. (2006). Cognitive, affective, and behavioral correlates of internalization of regulations for religious activities. Motivation and Emotion, 30, 323–334.CrossRef

Nurmi, J., Berzonsky, M. D., Tammi, K., & Kinney, A. (1997). Identity processing orientation, cognitive and behavioral strategies and well-being. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27, 555–570.

Passmore, N. L., Fogarty, G. J., Bourke, C. J., & Baker-Evans, S. F. (2005). Parental bonding and identity style as correlates of self-esteem among adult adoptees and nonadoptees. Family Relations, 54, 523–534.CrossRef

Phillips, T. M., & Pittman, J. F. (2007). Adolescent psychological well-being by identity style. Journal of Adolescence, 30, 1021–1034.CrossRefPubMed

Pittman, J. F., Kerpelman, J. L., Lamke, L. K., & Sollie, D. L. (2009). Development and validation of a Q-sort measure of identity processing style: The identity processing style Q-sort. Journal of Adolescence, 32, 1239–1265.CrossRefPubMed

Radloff, L. S. (1977). The center for epidemiologic studies-depression scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Journal of Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 185–401.CrossRef

Roberts, R. E., & Sobhan, M. (1992). Symptoms of depression in adolescence: A comparison of Anglo, African, and Hispanic Americans. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 21, 639–640.CrossRef

Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Ryan, R. M., & Connell, J. P. (1989). Perceived locus of causality and internalization: Examining reasons for acting in two domains. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 749–761.CrossRefPubMed

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68–78.CrossRefPubMed

Seaton, C. L., & Beaumont, S. L. (2008). Individual differences in identity styles predict proactive forms of positive adjustment. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 8, 249–268.

Smits, I., Soenens, B., Berzonsky, M., Luyckx, K., Goossens, L., Kunnen, S., & Bosma, H. (2009). The identity style inventory—version 4: A cross-national study in scale development and validation. In L. Goossens (Chair), Capturing identity styles: A cross-national and multi-method view on measurement. Symposium conducted at the 16th Annual Conference of the Society for Research on Identity Formation (SRIF), Pacific Grove, CA.

Smits, I., Soenens, B., Luyckx, K., Duriez, B., Berzonsky, M. D., & Goossens, L. (2008). Perceived parenting dimensions and identity styles: Exploring the socialization of adolescents’ processing of identity-relevant information. Journal of Adolescence, 31, 151–164.CrossRefPubMed

Soenens, B., Berzonsky, M. D., Vansteenkiste, M., Beyers, W., & Goossens, L. (2005a). Identity styles and causality orientations: In search of the motivational underpinnings of the identity exploration process. European Journal of Personality, 19, 427–442.CrossRef

Soenens, B., Duriez, B., & Goossens, L. (2005b). Social-psychological profiles of identity styles: Attitudinal and social-cognitive correlates in late adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 28, 107–125.CrossRefPubMed

Soenens, B., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2005). Antecedents and outcomes of self-determination in three life domains: The role of parent’s and teacher’s autonomy support. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 589–604.CrossRef

Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Luyckx, K., Goossens, L., Beyers, W., et al. (2007). Conceptualizing parental autonomy-support: Adolescent perceptions of promotion of independence versus promotion of volitional functioning. Developmental Psychology, 43, 633–646.CrossRefPubMed

Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., & Niemiec, C. P. (in press). Should parental prohibition of adolescents’ peer relationships be prohibited? The role of parental autonomy support and control. Personal Relationships.

Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., & Sierens, E. (2009). How are parental psychological control and autonomy-support related? Naturally occurring profiles of psychological control and two types of autonomy-support. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 187–202.CrossRef

Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Dewitte, S., De Witte, H., & Deci, E. L. (2004). The “why” and “why not” of job search behavior: Their relation to searching, unemployment experience, and well-being. European Journal of Social Psychology, 34, 345–363.CrossRef

Vansteenkiste, M., Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2008). Self-determination theory and the explanatory role of psychological needs in human well-being. In L. Bruni, F. Comim, & M. Pugno (Eds.), Capabilities and happiness (pp. 187–223). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Vansteenkiste, M., Zhou, M., Lens, W., & Soenens, B. (2005). Experiences of autonomy and control among Chinese learners: Vitalizing or immobilizing? Journal of Educational Psychology, 97, 468–483.CrossRef

Vleioras, G., & Bosma, H. A. (2005). Are identity styles important for psychological well-being? Journal of Adolescence, 28, 397–409.CrossRefPubMed

Titel: Why do Adolescents Gather Information or Stick to Parental Norms? Examining Autonomous and Controlled Motives Behind Adolescents’ Identity Style
Auteurs: Ilse Smits
Bart Soenens
Maarten Vansteenkiste
Koen Luyckx
Luc Goossens
Publicatiedatum: 01-11-2010
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence / Uitgave 11/2010
Print ISSN: 0047-2891
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-6601
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9469-x

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

Abstract

Log in om toegang te krijgen

Andere artikelen Uitgave 11/2010

Understanding the Link Between Social and Emotional Well-Being and Peer Relations in Early Adolescence: Gender-Specific Predictors of Peer Acceptance

Friendship and Adjustment: A Focus on Mixed-Grade Friendships

Meaning in Life as a Mediator of Ethnic Identity and Adjustment Among Adolescents from Latin, Asian, and European American Backgrounds

Self-Regulation in Early Adolescence: Relations with Mother–Son Relationship Quality and Maternal Regulatory Support and Antagonism

Variable-Centered and Person-Centered Approaches to Studying Mexican-Origin Mother–Daughter Cultural Orientation Dissonance

Marital Attitude Trajectories Across Adolescence