title: Correlates of identity configurations: three studies with adolescent and emerging adult cohorts.
abstract: Adolescence and emerging adulthood are two core developmental periods in which individuals can develop a meaningful identity across domains. However, there is a lack of studies exploring correlates of different identity configurations. The purpose of this article was to fill this gap in examining correlates of configurations characterized by identity stability or instability in both ideological and relational domains or identity stability in one domain and instability in the other domain. Three studies were presented. In the first study, we investigated links between identity configurations and internalizing problem behaviors in early and middle adolescents (N=1,891; M (age) =14; 55% female); in the second study, we focused on associations between identity configurations and identity functions in late adolescents and early emerging adults (N=1,085; M (age) =19; 63% female); in the third study, we investigated relationships between identity configurations, sense of coherence, and basic psychological need satisfaction in emerging adults (N=489; M (age) =21; 71% female). Overall, findings highlighted that participants experiencing a condition of identity stability in both domains reported a better profile than their peers displaying a condition of instability in both realms. Further, individuals with identity stability only in one domain reported intermediate scores and the effect provided by each domain varied according to the correlate examined and the age group taken into account. Implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.O. Box Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20146, Milan, Italy. info@elisabettacrocetti.com
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crocetti
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scrignaro
authors.forename: Luigia Simona
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Sica
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Magrin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D041923:Adolescent Development; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011581:Psychological Tests; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D060685:Sense of Coherence; D012933:Social Identification; D055815:Young Adult