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Commitment and exploration as mechanisms of identity formation
W Meeus1, J Iedema, G H Maassen
1Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. W.Meeus@fss.uu.nl
Psychological Reports
|July 2, 2002
Summary
Adolescent identity development involves commitment and exploration. While related, neither process consistently predicts the other over the long term, suggesting short-term links may exist.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Adolescent Psychology
Background:
- Identity development is crucial during adolescence.
- Commitment and exploration are key components of identity formation.
- Understanding the interplay between commitment and exploration is vital for developmental research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between commitment and exploration in adolescent identity development.
- To examine the longitudinal stability of commitment and exploration in relational and societal identity domains.
- To determine the long-term sequentiality between commitment and exploration in identity development.
Main Methods:
- A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted with 1,571 Dutch adolescents.
- The Utrecht-Groningen Identity Development Scale was used to measure commitment and exploration.
- Data were collected on relational and societal identity domains.
Main Results:
- Commitment and exploration are related processes in identity development.
- Longitudinal stability of commitment and exploration was found to have a medium effect size.
- No long-term predictive relationship was found between commitment and exploration, though short-term sequentiality is possible.
Conclusions:
- Relational identity formation may precede societal identity formation in Dutch adolescents.
- The findings suggest that commitment and exploration are intertwined but not strictly sequential over long periods.
- Further research into short-term developmental sequentiality is warranted.