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Identity Formation in Early and Middle Adolescents From Various Ethnic Groups: From Three Dimensions to Five Statuses

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Abstract

We used three identity processes (i.e., commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment) from a recently developed model of identity formation to derive empirically identity statuses in a sample of 1952 early and middle adolescents. By means of cluster analysis, we identified five statuses: achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, searching moratorium, and diffusion. Specifically, we found an intra-status differentiation within moratorium, unraveling the positive and negative facets of this status documented in prior literature. The five clusters could be meaningfully distinguished on a number of variables, such as personality features, psychosocial problems, and parental relationships. These findings indicated that a valid distinction in identity statuses could be made in early and middle adolescence. Finally, age and ethnic background strongly affected the distribution of the participants among the five identity statuses. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

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Notes

  1. We also obtained cluster by means of another procedure. Specifically we used the k-means clustering method to construct the identity types on the basis of the three identity factors. We examined the plausibility of several solutions with a different number of clusters. A total of five clusters (chosen on the basis of theoretical meaning, parsimony, and explanatory power) were selected. This procedure gave almost the same results we obtained by means of the two-step procedure (98.3% of correspondence for the five-cluster solution).

  2. We found the five-cluster solution to be replicated within content domains (i.e., ideological and interpersonal identity domains). These findings are available from the first author upon request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Sciences, University of Macerata, Piazzale Luigi Bertelli (Contrada Vallebona), Macerata, 62100, Italy

    Elisabetta Crocetti

  2. Department of Educational Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Filippo Re, 6, Bologna, 40126, Italy

    Monica Rubini

  3. Department of Psychology, K.U. Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, Leuven, 3000, Belgium

    Koen Luyckx

  4. Research Centre of Adolescent Development, Utrecht University, Postbox 80140, Utrecht, 3508 TC, The Netherlands

    Wim Meeus

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  1. Elisabetta Crocetti
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  2. Monica Rubini
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  3. Koen Luyckx
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  4. Wim Meeus
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Correspondence to Elisabetta Crocetti.

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Crocetti, E., Rubini, M., Luyckx, K. et al. Identity Formation in Early and Middle Adolescents From Various Ethnic Groups: From Three Dimensions to Five Statuses. J Youth Adolescence 37, 983–996 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-007-9222-2

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