The status of identity: reflections on the need for intervention
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Updated: Oct 3, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
1Dept. of Psychology, Trenton State College, NJ 08650-4700.
Abstract:
The primary purpose of this article is to examine the need for intervention in the context of the information we have gathered to date about identity formation. The research evidence indicates that the identity achievement status is associated with the greatest effectiveness in psychological functioning while the identity diffusion status is related to poorer functioning. The moratorium and foreclosure statuses generally occupy intermediate positions in this regard. The identity activity of adolescents and youth is also reviewed. The complexity of the identity construct is discussed as it relates to domains, developmental patterns, gender, historical and social contexts. The author uses the findings from a longitudinal study to illustrate the need for, and purposes of, intervention while respecting the richness of the identity construct of the individual.
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