A longitudinal study of ego identity development at a liberal arts college

Ego identity development in the areas of occupational choice, religion, and political ideology was studied using Marcia's categorization system. The results indicated a significant increase in the frequency of the identity achiever status for occupational choice and corresponding decreases in the frequency of the moratorium and identity diffusion statuses. A significant decrease in the frequency of foreclosures on religion was also found. In those instances where students underwent an identity crisis, the probability of resolving it successfully was very high. High scores on the Cultural Sophistication scale of the College Student Questionnaire-Part 1 were found to be associated with presence in the identity achievement status. For students not in the achiever status as freshmen, an interest in various literary and art forms was predictive of becoming an achiever while in college.Received his Ph.D. from SUNY/Buffalo. Recent research has been mainly concerned with the development of ego identity and with techniques for resolving identity crises.Received his Ph.D. from Syracuse University. Recent research has been mainly concerned with personality moderators of human judgment.     

Ego identity status and values among high school females

To test the hypothesis that adolescent females who are high in ego identity have high interests in religious and political values, the relationship between the ego identity status of 80 senior high school females and their response to the Allport-Vernon-Lindzey Study of Values was examined. Participants classified as being identity achievements, moratoriums, and foreclosures had higher religious value scores than did diffusions; however, the expected differences on political value scores were not found. Two-thirds of the identity achievers came from homes disrupted by divorce or death of one parent, while less than 20% of the members of the other three statuses came from broken homes.This report is based on the first author's M.A. thesis, which was submitted to the Graduate School, Texas Woman's University, 1978.Received her M.A. from Texas Woman's University. Major interests are ego identity formation and female adolescent development.Received Ph.D. from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Major interests are developmental effects of stress and neurophysiology.     

Ego identity status,ego development,and locus of control in college women

This study examined the relationship of identity status to ego development and locus of control in 75 college women. The identity statuses did not differ significantly in self-reported locus of control, but did differ on the depth measure of ego development. Consistent with identity theory and with previous research with males, identity achievers and moratorium (incrisis) women were more advanced in their ego development than fore-closure and diffusion women.This article is based in part on the doctoral dissertation of Sheila D. Ginsburg, Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy degree, University of Missouri—St. Louis.Received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Missouri—St. Louis. Current research interests include normative and dysfunctional development in children and adolescents.Received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at State University of New York at Buffalo. Research interests include personality and social development of adolescents and young adults.     

Ego identity status and expressive writing among high school and college students

Several studies were conducted to assess the relationship between expressive writing (poetry writing and journal keeping) and ego identity development among high school and college students. In three independent comparisons, poetry writers were more likely than students not writing poetry to have previously resolved identity crises (i.e., to be in the identity achiever status). There were also indications that students who had never written poetry were more likely to be in the foreclosure and identity diffusion statuses. No differences in identity development were found between students keeping personal journals and those who had not kept journals. A comparison was made of the themes most frequently chosen as the subject for each type of expressive writing and the functions such writings were believed to be serving. Possible explanations for why poetry writing, but not journal keeping, is related to ego identity formation are discussed.Received his Ph.D. from State University of New York at Buffalo. Research interests include psychosocial development during adolescence, youth, and adulthood and techniques for resolving identity crises.Research interests include identity development in early and midadolescence and the choice of models.     

Identity formation,nAchievement, and fear of success in college men and women

This study examined the performance of male and female identity statuses on achievement-related variables to clarify whether the four identity positions have different consequences for men and women. Previous research had suggested that an identity crisis period (achievement and moratorium) was more adaptive for males, while identity commitment, with or without a crisis period (achievement and foreclosure), was more adaptive for females. Identity status was determined for 111 college men and women who were tested for nAchievement, fear of success, fear of failure, and self-esteem. As predicted, identity achievement and moratorium men and women scored higher in achievement motivation and self-esteem than foreclosure and diffusion subjects. However, while diffusions and foreclosures were highest in fear of success of the male statuses, moratoriums and achievements were highest in fear of success of the female statuses. Contrary to previous research, the results indicate that moratorium women resemble identity achievements more than foreclosure women do, at least on achievement-related and self-concept variables, and suggest reasons why moratorium has appeared in past research to be a less adaptive status and foreclosure a more adaptive status for women.This research was supported by University of Missouri Summer Research Fellowship 3694-1100.Received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1974. Primary research interest is personality development during late adolescence and young adulthood, particularly identity formation and the development of an intimate mode of interpersonal relationships. Also involved in research on sex roles and psychological androgyny.     

Occupational identity status development,gender comparisons,and internal-external control in first-year air force cadets

This study of cadets at the United States Air Force Academy during their first six months assessed the pattern of developmental changes in occupational identity status for males and females, examined the relationship of internal-external control to identity statuses, and discussed the data in terms of Erikson's proposals and factors involved in gender differences in identity development. More than half of the cadets entering the academy were in uncommitted occupational identity statuses. Over the time period, half the cadets remained in their identity statuses, with the Foreclosed cadets the most stable and Achieved the least stable. The expected changes in the Achieved identity status, and other changes, established a pattern of identity development congruent with Erikson's theory of developmental progress or regression in identity formation. Only male cadets demonstrated significant changes into or out of a status, and significant associations between their identity statuses and internal-external control, with more internally controlled males being Achieved and more externally controlled males being Diffused-diffused.The views expresed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Air Force or the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado.Received Ph.D. from State University of New York at Buffalo. Research interests: Adolescent development, gifted creative, cognitive development.Received Ph.D. from Kent State University. Research interests: research, statistics, and educational technology.     

Multivariate analysis of the relationship of psychosocial crisis variables to Ego Identity Status

The purpose of the present study was the investigation of the intercorrelations among psychosocial crisis resolution variables and ego identity statuses. The focus of the study was correlational including discriminant analyses which allowed for the identification of psychosocial crisis predictor variables which significantly distinguished identity statuses. Discriminant analyses were also computed for the purpose of identifying variables which significantly distinguished male and female identity statuses. Eighty-eight university students drawn from a variety of on-campus populations were each administered Marcia's Ego Identity Status Interview and completed Rasmussen's Ego Identity Scale. Review of the findings appeared to support Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. The evidence presented also demonstrated additional convergent and discriminant validity of Marcia's ego identity status concept. The results assisted in distinguishing male and female identity statuses. The findings tended to indicate that coping with the identity crisis (e.g., identity status) involves different psychosocial components.This paper is based in part on a doctoral dissertation submitted to The Graduate School of Education of The University of Virginia, 1975.Received his D.Ed. from the University of Virginia. Primary research interest is theoretical and practical implications of ego identity crisis and correlates of the different identity statuses.     

Separation-individuation and ego identity status in New Zealand university students

This study explores intrapsychic structures underlying Marcia's ego identity statuses in terms of separation-individuation patterns. It was hypothesized that achievement and moratorium adolescents would give greater evidence of intrapsychic differentiation on a projective measure of separation anxiety than would foreclosure or diffusion youths. Marcia's Ego Identity Status Interview and Hansburg's Separation Anxiety Test were administered to 80 female and 60 male volunteers at a New Zealand university. All were under 23 years of age. As predicted, high statuses showed less anxiety than secure attachment or detachment. Contrary to expectation, no differences among attachment styles appeared for low statuses. Difficulties in adapting the identity status interview to the New Zealand context may partially explain these results. A measure of intrapsychic differentiation provides a useful supplement to the identity status interview.This research was supported by a grant from the Internal Research Committee, Victoria University of Wellington. Parts of this research were presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Toronto, 1985.Received Ph.D in child development from Florida State University in 1977. Current research interest is identity formation from a lifespan perspective.     

Sex differences in the resolution of the identity crisis

Based on Erikson's view of the importance of inner space in feminine identity, researchers have added an interview on premarital sex to the standard ego identity interview on occupation, religion, and politics used for males. This study was designed to investigate the relative importance of premarital sexual ideology for males and females, as well as sex differences in identity status on occupation, religion, and politics. Marcia's semi-structured ego identity status interview was given to 70 male and 70 female college students, with premarital sex questions included for both sexes. Consistent with Erikson's theory, females were more likely than males to have experienced a sexual identity crisis, whereas males were very likely to be foreclosed in this area. Males as well as females were more likely to be committed about sex than about any other area. In all areas except sex, female identity followed basically the same pattern as male identity.Received her Ph.D. from State University of New York at Buffalo. Current research interests are ego identity and human sexuality.Received his Ph. D. from State University of New York at Albany. Current research interests are mental health evaluation and behavior therapy.     

The contribution of family structure and differentiation to identity development in females

We examined the relationship between Minuchin's structural family model, adolescent separation-individuation, and identity development. One hundred sixty-four female undergraduate students completed the Structural Family Interaction Scale Revised (SFIS-R), the Parental Relationship Inventory (PRI), and the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOM-EIS) scale. Exploratory Factor Analysis of the SFIS-R and PRI scales indicated that two factors, Proximity-Differentiation and Generational Hierarchy-Differentiation, accounted for 90% of the variance. Canonical correlation analysis with the two factor scores and age included in the predictor variables, and the four measures of ego identity included in the dependent variables, yielded two significant roots. The results supported Minuchin's model.Received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Major interests are family factors influencing adolescent development and family assessment.Received her Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Major interests are family factors and the separation/individuation process.Received Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Major interests are statistical issues related to chi-square analyses.     

Separation-individuation and ego identity status in late adolescence: A two-year longitudinal study

This study was undertaken to clarify developmental relationships between intrapsychic object relations structure and ego identity status during late adolescence; one purpose was to examine the possible predictive relationship between initial attachment style and later identity status. A total of 76 subjects (41 females and 35 males) who had been given the Marcia Ego Identity Status Interview and the Hansburg Separation Anxiety Test (SAT) as first-year university students in 1984 were reassessed two years later. Fitted log linear models indicated strong links between attachment style and identity status in 1986, and between identity status in 1984 and 1986; only an indirect connection existed between attachment style in 1984 and 1986 as measured by the SAT. When 1984 and 1986 identity status were known, it was possible to predict 1986 attachment style without knowing 1984 attachment style; 1984 attachment style alone was unable to predict later identity status accurately.This research was supported by a grant from the Internal Research Committee, Victoria University of Wellington.Received Ph.D. in Child Development from the Florida State University. Current research interest is identity formation from a life-span perspective.Received Ph.D. in Mathematical Statistics from Victoria University of Wellington. Among current research interests is the analysis of sparse contingency tables.     

The relationship between ego identity status and Erikson's notions of institutionalized moratoria,value orientation stage,and ego dominance

A number of concepts central to Erikson's theory of ego identity formation (J. E. Côté and C. Levine [1987], A Formulation of Erikson's Theory of Ego Identity Formation, Development Review, 7(4): 273–325) are discussed in relation to Marcia's identity status paradigm in light of the fact that both assign a significant role to the notion of identity crisis. The results of an empirical investigation reveal that Erikson's notions of institutionalized moratoria, value orientation stages, and the ego-superego struggle for dominance of the personality are related to the identity status categories in a way that can be partially explained in terms of the degree to which an individual has experienced the identity crisis. Further explanations for the pattern of findings are offered in terms of Erikson's theory. These explanations clarify, to a degree, the nature of the identity statuses from a social psychological perspective.Received Ph.D. in Sociology from York University, Toronto, Canada. Research interests include the empirical investigation of Eriksonian theory, gender roles, the social psychology of organizations, and program evaluation.Received Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Research interests include the investigation of moral development from a social psychological perspective.     

The ego-virtue of fidelity: A case for the study of religion and identity formation in adolescence

Extrapolation from Erik Erikson's theory of human development suggests the ego-virtue of fidelity provides a conceptual link between religion and identity formation. It is argued here that fidelity, within identity statuses, is characterized by commitment (i.e., foreclosure and achievement). Further, due to the connection between fidelity and ideology, greater evidence of fidelity and identity commitment should be observed among religious minority adolescents and among adolescents who more frequently attend church. Partial support was shown for these predictions. Mormon adolescents, who were minorities in the broader societal context, but majorities in their local community context, were found to score higher in identity foreclosure in comparison to Catholic and Protestant adolescents who were religious minorities in their local community context. It was suggested that premature foreclosure among Mormon adolescents may be due to the importance of exhibiting indicators of fidelity as efforts to strengthen one's minority identity and one's minority group in respect to the broader society. More frequent church attendance was related to higher scores in commitment identity statuses (i.e., foreclosure and achievement). Apparently, consistent church attendance is not required for heightened scores in the exploration status of moratorium.Received Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the Department of Psychology, Utah State University. Research interests: identity formation and psychosocial maturity in adolescence, ethnic and religious minority adolescents, and social relationships.Received Ms.C. in Consumer Studies, University of Guelph. Research interest: facilitating learning of computer software.Received B.S. in psychology at Utah State University.     

Identity status in high school students: Critique and a revised paradigm

The validity of applying the Marcia identity status paradigm to study of high school students is examined. Uncritical categorization of young adolescents into the identity statuses originally validated upon university students raises various issues. A revised paradigm for study of identity style among high school students is presented. It is suggested that the issues raised—the validity of measures for varying age groups and the role of environmental demands—are related to the eventual formulation of a life-span conceptualization of identity style.Received his Ph.D. from University of Toronto. Research interests are life-span developmental psychology and adolescent behavior.Received B. A. from the Northeastern Illinois University.     

Personality structure and identity status in women as viewed through early memories

Early memories were obtained from women in the four identity status categories and rated for developmental level in an effort to assess deeper aspects of personality development that underlie identity formation. In contrast to some previous research which has found similarities between Achievement and Foreclosure women and between Moratorium and Diffusion women, this study found that Moratorium women show greater ego development in contrast to the Foreclosures. Achievement women were found to blend aspects of both Foreclosure and Moratorium patterns, suggesting that their approach to identity formation may be through a form of rapprochement.Received Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Research interest is identity formation in women.     

Fathers and sons: A study of ego identity across two generations

This study was designed to compare the relative frequencies of the various ego identity statuses across two generations and to determine the nature of the relationship between the identity statuses of fathers and their sons. Male college students and their fathers were given Marcia 's semistructured ego identity status interview. Generational comparisons revealed that the fathers were significantly more likely than their sons to be in the foreclosure category and were significantly less likely than their sons to be in the moratorium and diffusion statuses. No relationship was found between the identity statuses of fathers and their sons. Among the fathers, high levels of education were found to be associated with identity achievement, while low levels of education were associated with identity diffusion.     

The impact of the identity crisis on the adjustment of late adolescent males

The relationship between ego identity status and MMPI scores was investigated using 73 college males. Identity status was assessed using a semistructured interview. The results obtained indicated that subjects in the identity achievement status obtained MMPI scores which fell within the normal range of functioning. Subjects currently involved in working on identity issues (moratorium status) obtained a pattern of scores indicating the presence of psychological conflict, as did foreclosure subjects—that is, subjects who are characterized by rigid adherence to parental norms and values. Subjects who had not successfully resolved their identity crisis (identity diffusion status) had MMPI scores within the normal range. The findings partly support Erikson's theorizing on ego identity and indicate that further analysis and refinement of Marcia's typology is required. Results from the present study also indicate that future research with male subjects on ego identity status should include some assessment of sexual attitudes.This research was partly supported by research grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF-USDP No. GU 1598) and a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH 16899). The senior author was supported by a National Science Foundation traineeship during the time this study was performed.Clinical psychology graduate student, doing research on adolescent personality development from an Eriksonian perspective.Received Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Current research is on adolescent personality development from an Eriksonian perspective.     

Intimacy status: Relationship to interpersonal perception

Five modes of reacting to the intimacy-isolation crisis of young adulthood were described, measured, and validated. Criteria for inclusion in one of the five intimacy statuses were (1) presence or absence of peer friendships, (2) presence or absence of an enduring-committed-heterosexual relationship, and (3) depth vs. superficiality of peer relationships. Statuses were compared on a partner-perception task assessing subject's intimate knowledge of his partner (a close male or female friend who accompanied the subject to the experiment). In all, 66 male college students participated in the study, 50 with male partners and 16 with female partners. The results support the hypothesis that subjects high in intimacy status share a greater degree of mutual knowledge and understanding with their partners then medium-or low-level intimacy status subjects.The research was supported by SUNY/Buffalo Institutional Funds Grant No. 050-A081A.This article is based in part on a doctoral dissertation submitted to the State University of New York at Buffalo (Orlofsky, 1974).Received Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1974. Primary research interest is in personality development during late adolescence and young adulthood, particularly identity formation and the development of an intimate mode of interpersonal relationships. Also involved in research on sex roles and psychological androgyny.     

Relationship among ego identity status,field-independence,and traditional femininity

Fifty-five senior college women were given an ego identity status interview, two measures of field-independence (the Embedded Figures Test and figure drawings), and the Gough Femininity Scale. A significant relationship was found between ego identity status and field-independence, as measured by the EFT. Women in those identity statuses defined by occupational, ideological, and sexual commitment (Achievement and Foreclosure) were significantly more field-independent than women in those statuses which were not committed to elements of psychosocial identity (Moratorium and Diffusion). There was a trend toward a significant relationship between ego identity status and traditional femininity. No relationship was found between field-independence and traditional femininity.     

Erikson stage resolution: The relationship between identity and intimacy

Ego identity and intimacy statuses were determined for 88 college students, 44 men and 44 women, and related to each other and to measures of intimacy, loving, and liking. As hypothesized, more advanced stages of identity development were associated with higher levels of intimacy formation. Further, for both males and females, occupational identity development was the primary predictive factor in the identity/intimacy stage resolution relationship.Received her M. S. from Utah State University.Received his M. A. in psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and his Ph.D. in human development from The Pennsylvania State University.