Helping students with: “Who am I?”

Posted on by kkeptner

Identity formation

Forming a unique identity1 is an important part of becoming an adult. 

Identity formation is the need to

  • problem solve who one is,
  • learn about barriers and supports available in the environment that “fit” with who one is,
  • and how personal attributes and context help students make life choices.2  

In order to develop a unique identity, a student must choose a certain path in life. Sometimes, a student decides on a path (ie a specific major) and then they discover that there is mismatch with who they are and who they want to be. If this happens, the student must do some reflection and exploration to find another possible self.3   Once the student finds a good “fit”, they will absorb this new identity into their self-concept and it will be a positive experience. If this happens, the student will feel like they have a purpose in life.4 As students absorb a new identity, it helps them re-evaluate themselves (for example, a nursing major might say “I have always been good at helping people, so this choice makes sense to me”).

When a student cannot find a path that “fits” with who they and other people in their life believe they should be or if the student is unsatisfied with the possible choices that they have, they may experience identity confusion. Identity confusion can negatively influence psychosocial well-being, academic adjustment, and (later on) worker identity.5

What helps with identity formation?

Making important life choices and striving for goals are two major parts of identity formation.2 The everyday environment in which goals are developed and choices are made have a lot of influence on the development of identity.6

Occupational therapists can look at student strengths, skills, personality, and other attributes that would contribute to a particular career choice. They must also assess things like: the variety of choice of majors at the student’s current institution, student finances, and student knowledge of career paths. Institutional factors can influence identity formation as much as personal attributes (skills, personality, etc).    

Coping resources and personality

Students must have good coping resources to form an identity. Lack of coping strategies can lead to identity confusion.7,8 Problem-solving and support seeking coping strategies are better for successful identity development.8  

The personality characteristic of “openness to experiences’ helps most with identity exploration. People with “open” personalities will explore a breadth and depth of identities before finding the right “fit”.6

Students who are less-open can benefit from education on fixed versus growth mindset.

Support of friends

Erikson suggested that identity is developed through relationships. He also suggested that a coherent identity is necessary to develop intimate friendships.1 Current research supports the interrelationship between identity and friendships in this age group.9 Intimate friendships provide a safe context for sharing.  By sharing lived experiences with intimate friends, identity is further developed.10

Interested in assessments? 

As you understand a little bit more about identity, you might want to assess it with your students (or ask some pointed questions). Here is a short list of tools that might be useful to assess identity formation.

Identity 

The Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOM-EIS-2) –64 item self-report scale with each item measured on a 6-point Likert scale.  Four of these areas are included within the ideological component:  occupation, religion, political views, and lifestyle philosophy. The other four content areas comprise the interpersonal dimension: friendship, dating, sex role, and recreation.

Repeated Exploration and Commitment Scale (RESC) – translated from Dutch. It has five domains with one domain specifically looking at educational identity.  Five questions rate educational identity:  exploration of fit (“have you been asking yourself whether this education is right for you?”), exploration of self (“have you been investigating your interests and ambitions in the domain of education and career?”), exploration of alternatives (“have you been looking for alternatives to this education?”), commitment to choice (“do you stand by your choice for this particular education?”),and  commitment to fit (“do you feel that this education suits you?”).  

Utrecht-Management of Identity Commitments Scale (U-MICS) – This tool measures educational identity dimensions –  commitment (ie “my education gives me certainty in life”), in-depth exploration (ie “I think a lot about my education”), and measuring reconsideration (“I often think it would be better to try to find a different education”) – ranked from 1 (completely true) to 5 (completely untrue).

Identity Distress Survey (IDS) – This tool was based on the diagnostic criteria for identity disorder from the DSM-III-R. It measures identity distress and identifies individuals who experience difficulties in identity development.  Individuals rate the amount to which they are distressed, upset, or worried about identity issues on a five-point scale (1- not at all to 5 – very severely).  Next, they rate their overall distress with identity issues and how identity issues may interfere with everyday functioning. Finally, they estimate how much time they have been distressed, upset, or worried about their identity issues from 1 (never or less than a month) to 5 (longer than 12 months).  

Life Purpose

Brief Purpose Measure – Four items rated on a five-point Likert scale.  Questions: “There is direction in my life.  My plans for the future match with my true interests and values. I know which direction I am going to follow in my life.  My life is guided by a set of clear commitments.”

Life Engagement Test – Six items on a five-point Likert scale (sample question:  “To me, the things I do are worthwhile”).

Consideration of Future Consequences Scale —  The individual is provided with twelve descriptors of self and are asked to rank each one on a five-point scale (Example: “I consider how things might be in the future, and try to influence those things with my day to day behavior”).

References

  1. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York, NY: Norton
  2. Schwartz, S. J., Kurtines, W. M., & Montgomery, M. J. (2005). A comparison of two approaches for facilitating identity exploration processes in emerging adults: An exploratory study. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20(3), 309e345. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0743558404273119.
  3. Marcia, J. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego-identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 551-558. doi:10.1037/0023281.
  4. Manzi, C., Vignoles, V. L, & Regalia, C. (2010).  Accommodating a new identity: Possible selves, identity change and well-being across two life transitions.  European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 970-984. 
  5. Carlsson, J., Wängqvist, M., & Frisén, A. (2016).  Life on hold:  Staying in identity diffusion in the late twenties.  Journal of Adolescence, 47, 220-229. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.10.023
  6. Van der Gaag, M. A. E., De Ruiter, N. M. P., & Kunnen, E. S. (2016).  Micro-level process of identity development: Intra-individual relations between commitment and exploration.  Journal of Adolescence, 47, 38-47.  doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.11.007
  7. Klimstra, T. A., Luyckx, K., Goossens, L., Teppers, E., & De Fruyt, F. (2013). Associations of identity dimensions with Big Five personality domains and facets. European Journal of Personality, 27(3), 213-221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/per.1853.
  8. Luyckx, K., Klimstra, T. A., Duriez, B., Schwartz, S. J., & Vanhalst, J. (2012). Identity processes and coping strategies in college students: short-term longitudinal dynamics and the role of personality. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41, 1226-1239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9753-z.
  9. Doumen, S., Smits, I., Luyckx, K., Duriez, B., Vanhalst, J., Verschueren, K., et al. (2012). Identity and perceived peer relationship quality in emerging adulthood: the mediating role of attachment-related emotions. Journal of Adolescence, 35, 1417-1425. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.01.003.
  10. McLean, K. C., & Pasupathi, M. (2010). Narrative development in adolescence: Creating the storied self. New York, NY: Springer.