Department of Psychology, Babes-Bolyai University.
Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna.
Dev Psychol. 2017 Nov;53(11):2127-2138. doi: 10.1037/dev0000325.
Identity formation is a main adolescent psychosocial developmental task. The complex interconnection between different processes that are at the basis of one's identity is a research and applied intervention priority. In this context, the identity style model focuses on social-cognitive strategies (i.e., informational, normative, and diffuse-avoidant) that individuals can use to deal with identity formation. The 3-factor identity dimensional model examines the interplay between identity processes of commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment in different life domains. Theoretical integrations between these models have been proposed, but there is a dearth of studies unraveling their longitudinal links in specific identity domains. We addressed this gap by testing in a 3-wave longitudinal study the bidirectional associations between identity styles and educational identity processes measured during 1 academic year. Participants were 1,151 adolescents (58.7% female). Results highlighted that the informational style was related over time to higher levels of educational commitment and in-depth exploration, whereas the diffuse-avoidant style was related to lower levels of commitment and higher levels of reconsideration of commitment. Educational commitment was positively related to the informational and normative styles; in-depth exploration was positively related to the informational style; and reconsideration of commitment was positively related to the diffuse-avoidant style. These relations were not moderated by adolescents' gender and age. Hence, identity styles and educational identity processes reinforce each other during 1 academic year. Theoretical integrations between these models, suggestions for integration with other identity approaches (e.g., narrative identity models), and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
身份形成是青少年主要的心理社会发展任务之一。不同过程之间的复杂相互关系是一个研究和应用干预的优先事项，这些过程是一个人身份的基础。在这种情况下，身份风格模型侧重于个体用来应对身份形成的社会认知策略（即信息、规范和回避扩散）。三因素身份维度模型考察了在不同生活领域中承诺、深入探索和重新考虑承诺的身份过程之间的相互作用。这些模型之间已经提出了理论整合，但缺乏在特定身份领域中揭示它们的纵向联系的研究。我们通过在一个 3 波纵向研究中测试身份风格和在 1 个学年期间测量的教育身份过程之间的双向关联来解决这一差距。参与者为 1151 名青少年（58.7%为女性）。结果表明，信息风格与教育承诺和深入探索的水平随时间而提高，而回避扩散风格与承诺水平较低和重新考虑承诺的水平较高有关。教育承诺与信息和规范风格呈正相关；深入探索与信息风格呈正相关；重新考虑承诺与回避扩散风格呈正相关。这些关系不受青少年性别和年龄的调节。因此，在 1 个学年中，身份风格和教育身份过程相互加强。讨论了这些模型之间的理论整合、与其他身份方法（例如，叙事身份模型）整合的建议以及实际意义。
