title: Characterizing the self-system over time in adolescence: internal structure and associations with internalizing symptoms.
abstract: The longitudinal effects among self and identity processes, and between these processes and internalizing symptoms, are not well understood. As a result, the present study was designed to ascertain the over-time effects among identity commitment, reconsideration of commitments, and self-concept clarity, as well as to map the interplay of these self and identity processes with anxiety and depressive symptoms in early adolescence. A sample of 923 Dutch adolescents (mean age 12.4 years at Time 1; 49.3% female) participated at each of five annual assessments. Multivariate growth curve and cross-lagged panel models indicated that the association between self-concept clarity and commitment was bidirectional, that reconsideration occurs based on problems or dissatisfaction with self-concept clarity and with identity commitments, and that self-concept clarity (but not commitment or reconsideration) temporally precedes depressive and anxiety symptoms. Results are discussed in terms of the structure of the self-system and its associations with internalizing symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA. SSchwartz@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Seth J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Theo A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Klimstra
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Luyckx
authors.forename: William W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.forename: Wim H J
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Meeus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D041923:Adolescent Development; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012933:Social Identification; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires