Related Experiment Videos
Ethnicity as a mediating variable of early adolescent identity development
1College of Education, University of Arizona, Tucson 86721.
Journal of Adolescence
|December 1, 1988
Summary
This study on early adolescent identity development found that females and older students showed more advanced identity formation. Ethnic minorities, however, were more foreclosed in their identity development compared to non-minority peers.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Adolescent Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Early adolescent identity development is a critical stage.
- Understanding mediating factors like race, ethnicity, and sex is crucial.
- The study context is an urban southwestern middle school with mandatory desegregation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine race/ethnicity, sex, and grade as mediating factors in early adolescent identity development.
- To validate the Ego Identity Scale (EOM-EIS) for middle school students.
- To explore the impact of school desegregation on identity formation.
Main Methods:
- Administered the Ego Identity Scale (EOM-EIS) to 367 middle-school students.
- Analyzed data considering race/ethnicity, sex, and grade level.
- Utilized a mandatory desegregation school setting for context.
Main Results:
- The EOM-EIS is a suitable instrument for assessing identity in this age group.
- Females and older students demonstrated more sophisticated identity development.
- Ethnic minorities exhibited significantly higher levels of identity foreclosure than non-minority students.
Conclusions:
- Sex and grade level are significant factors in adolescent identity development.
- Ethnic minority status is associated with identity foreclosure in this sample.
- School desegregation may have implications for identity development that warrant further investigation.