Adolescents' Identity Development Predicts the Transition and the Adjustment to Tertiary Education or Work
Kazumi Sugimura1, Shogo Hihara2, Kai Hatano3
1Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-1-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8524, Japan. ksugimura@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|August 10, 2023
Summary
Adolescent identity development impacts career paths. Higher identity synthesis predicts tertiary education and engagement, while identity confusion predicts work transitions and burnout.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Identity development is vital for adolescent psychological adjustment.
- Its role in the transition to tertiary education or work remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if high school identity development predicts career choices.
- To examine the link between identity and post-graduation adjustment (engagement) and maladjustment (burnout).
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 357 Japanese vocational high school students over 3 years.
- Follow-up assessment 18 months post-transition to tertiary education or work.
Main Results:
- Higher identity synthesis predicted entry into tertiary education.
- Higher identity confusion predicted transition to work.
- Identity synthesis correlated with post-graduation academic engagement; confusion correlated with burnout.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent identity development is a significant predictor of post-secondary transitions.
- Identity synthesis and confusion play distinct roles in academic and work adjustment.
- Understanding identity development aids in supporting adolescent transitions.
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