Personality, Adjustment, and Identity Style Influences on Stability in Identity and Self-Concept During the Transition to University

Abstract

Drawing on E. H. Erikson's psychosocial development theory, we hypothesized that stability within the self-concept and identity are similar and are regulated by a common set of influences. The participants in this study were 154 first-year undergraduates aged 20 years or younger. They completed surveys at two points 3 months apart. The findings demonstrated a moderate association between identity commitment and self-concept clarity, the two indices of stability in this study. For both measures, multiple regressions revealed that a diffuse-avoidant identity style reduced stability whereas healthy self-evaluation enhanced it. Conversely, variables indicative of defensiveness and self-reflection showed different relations to self-concept clarity and identity commitment. The article discusses how the meaning and regulation of stability are affected by the self-concept's developmental priority and centrality relative to identity.