A comparison of ego identity status transition pathways and change rates across five identity domains

The present retrospective study was designed to explore the question of whether or not ego identity status transition pathways and change rates differ significantly across domains of identity development from adolescence through middle adulthood. A sample of 100 middle- and upper-middle-class New Zealand adults from forty to sixty-three years of age were interviewed regarding the development of values in the areas of vocation, religion, politics, and gender roles, and relationships using an adaptation of the Marcia Ego Identity Status Interview. Raters later assigned an identity status for each year of chronological age for each participant. Preliminary analyses indicated that subgroups of the larger sample differed significantly in terms of identity status transition patterns. Within each of the eight subgroups examined, there were statistically significant differences in transition pathways and change rates across the five identity domains. These findings suggest the importance of examining separate identity domains and controlling for demographic variables in future studies of adult identity development. Results are discussed in terms of Grotevant's process model of identity formation.