The personality‐identity interplay in emerging adult women: convergent findings from complementary analyses

Abstract

The present study examined whether identity development occurs in tandem with personality development in emerging adulthood. Three‐wave longitudinal data on a sample of 351 female college students were used to answer questions about stability and change, direction of effects, and interrelated developmental trajectories. Four identity dimensions (i.e. commitment making, exploration in breadth, identification with commitment, and exploration in depth) and the Big Five were assessed. Identity and personality were found to be meaningfully related at the level of both the time‐specific adjacent measures and the underlying developmental trajectories with various degrees of convergence. Cross‐lagged analyses substantiated reciprocal influences and Latent Growth Curve Modelling substantiated common developmental pathways that partially mirrored the concurrent relations. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keywords

Big Five identity commitment exploration longitudinal

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Asendorpf

J. B.

van Aken

M. A. G.

(2003).Personality‐relationship transaction in adolescence: Core versus surface personality characteristics. Journal of Personality, 71,629–666.

Asendorpf

J. B.

Wilpers

(1998).Personality effects on social relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74,1531–1544.

Balistreri

Busch‐Rossnagel

N. A.

Geisinger

K. F.

(1995).Development and preliminary validation of the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire. Journal of Adolescence, 18,179–192.

Berman

A. M.

Schwartz

S. J.

Kurtines

W. M.

Berman

S. L.

(2001).The process of exploration in identity formation: The role of style and competence. Journal of Adolescence, 24,513–528.

Berzonsky

M. D.

(1990).Self‐construction over the life‐span: A process perspective on identity formation. Advances in Personal Construct Psychology, 1,155–186.

Berzonsky

M. D.

(1992).Identity style and coping strategies. Journal of Personality, 60,771–778.

Berzonsky

M. D.

Adams

G. R.

(1999).Reevaluating the identity status paradigm: Still useful after 35 years. Developmental Review, 19,557–590.

Bosma

H. A.

(1985).Identity development in adolescents: Coping with commitments. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.

Bosma

H. A.

(1995). Identity and identity processes: What are we talking about?In A. Oosterwegel , & R. A. Wicklund (Eds.), The self in European and North American Culture: Development and processes(pp.5–17). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer.

10.

Bosma

H. A.

Kunnen

S. E.

(2001).Determinants and mechanisms in ego identity development: A review and synthesis. Developmental Review, 21,39–66.

11.

Burkholder

G. J.

Harlow

L. L.

(2003).An illustration of a longitudinal cross‐lagged design for larger structural equation models. Structural Equation Modeling, 10,465–486.

12.

Caspi

(1998). Personality development across the life course. In W. Damon (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Social, emotional, and personality development( Vol. 4,5th ed., pp.311–388). New York: Wiley.

13.

Caspi

Roberts

B. W.

(1999). Personality continuity and change across the life course. In L. A. Pervin , & O. P. John (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research(2nd ed., pp.300–326). New York: Guilford Press.

14.

Clancy

S. M.

Dollinger

S. J.

(1993).Identity, self, and personality—I: Identity status and the five‐factor model of personality. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 3,227–245.

15.

Costa

P. T.

McCrae

R. R.

(1978). Objective personality assessment. In M. Storandt , I. C. Siegler , & M. F. Elias (Eds.), The clinical psychology of aging(pp.119–143). New York: Plenum.

16.

Costa

P. T.

McCrae

R. R.

(1992). Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO‐PI‐R) and the Five Factor Inventory (NEO‐FFI): Professional manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

17.

CôXté

J. E.

Levine

(1983).Marcia and Erikson: The relationships between ego identity status, neuroticism, dogmatism, and purpose of life. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 12,43–53.

18.

Cramer

(1998).Freshman to senior year: A follow‐up study of identity, narcissism, and defense mechanisms. Journal of Research in Personality, 32,156–172.

19.

Curran

P. J.

Bollen

K. A.

(2001). The best of both worlds: Combining autoregressive and latent curve models. In L. M. Collins , & A. G. Sayer (Eds.), New methods for the analysis of change(pp.105–136). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

20.

Dahl

R. J.

Wakefield

J. A.

Kimlicka

T. M.

Wiederstein

Cross

H. J.

(1983).How the personality dimensions of neuroticism, extraversion and psychoticism relate to self‐actualization. Personality and Individual Differences, 6,683–685.

21.

David

J. P.

Suls

(1999).Coping efforts in daily life: Role of Big Five traits and problem appraisals. Journal of Personality, 67,265–294.

22.

Dollinger

S. J.

Leong

F. T. L.

Ulicni

S. K.

(1996).On traits and values: With special reference to openness to experience. Journal of Research in Personality, 30,23–41.

23.

Dollinger

S. J.

Orf

L. A.

(1991).Personality and performance in ‘personality’: Conscientiousness and openness. Journal of Research in Personality, 25,276–284.

24.

Dollinger

S. M. C.

(1995).Identity styles and the five‐factor model of personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 29,475–479.

25.

Duncan

T. E.

Duncan

S. C.

Strycker

L. A.

Alpert

(1999). An introduction to latent variable growth curve modeling: Concepts, issues and applications. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

26.

Duriez

Soenens

Beyers

(2004).Personality, identity styles, and religiosity: An integrative study among late adolescents in Flanders (Belgium). Journal of Personality, 72,877–910.

27.

Erikson

(1968). Identity, youth and crisis. New York: Norton.

28.

Goossens

(2001).Global versus domain‐specific statuses in identity research: A comparison of two self‐report measures. Journal of Adolescence, 24,681–699.

29.

Grotevant

H. D.

(1987).Toward a process model of identity formation. Journal of Adolescent Research, 2,203–222.

30.

Hoekstra

H. A.

Ormel

De Fruyt

(1996). NEO persoonlijkheids vragenlijsten: NEO‐PI‐R, NEO‐FFI. Handleiding[NEO personality questionnaires: NEO‐PI‐R and NEO‐FFI—Manual]. Lisse, The Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger.

31.

Jöreskog

K. G.

Sörbom

(1993). LISREL VIII users'reference guide. Mooresville, IN: Scientific Software.

32.

Josselson

(1996). Revising herself: The story of women's identity from college to midlife. Oxford: Oxford University press.

33.

Kerpelman

J. L.

Pittman

J. F.

Lamke

L. K.

(1997).Toward a microprocess perspective on adolescent identity development: An identity control theory approach. Journal of Adolescent Research, 12,325–346.

34.

Kroger

(2000).Ego identity status research in the new millennium. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 24,145–148.

35.

Kroger

Green

K. E.

(1996).Events associated with identity status change. Journal of Adolescence, 19,477–490.

36.

Luyckx

Goossens

Beyers

Soenens

(in press).The Ego Identity Process Questionnaire: Factor structure, reliability, and convergent validity in Dutch‐speaking late adolescents. Journal of Adolescence.

37.

Luyckx

Goossens

Soenens

Beyers

(in press).Unpacking commitment and exploration: Preliminary validation of an integrative model of adolescent identity formation. Journal of Adolescence.

38.

Luyckx

Goossens

Soenens

Beyers

Vansteenkiste

(in press).Identity statuses based upon four rather than two identity dimensions: Extending and refining Marcia's paradigm. Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

39.

Marcia

J. E.

(1966).Development and validation of ego‐identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3,551–558.

40.

Marcia

J. E.

(1980). Identity in adolescence. In J. Adelson (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent psychology(pp.159–186). New York: Wiley.

41.

McArdle

J. J.

(2005). Latent growth curve analysis using structural equation modeling techniques. In D. M. Teti (Ed.), Blackwell handbook of research methods in developmental science(pp.340–366). Malden, MA: Blackwell.

42.

Meeus

(1996).Studies on identity development in adolescence: An overview of research and some new data. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 25,569–598.

43.

Meeus

Dekovic

(1995).Identity development, parental and peer support in adolescence: Results of a national, Dutch survey. Adolescence, 30,931–944.

44.

Meeus

Oosterwegel

Vollebergh

(2002).Parental and peer attachment and identity development in adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 25,93–106.

45.

Muthén

L. K.

Muthén

B. O.

(2002). Mplus user's guide. Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

46.

Neyer

F. J.

Asendorpf

J. B.

(2001).Personality‐relationship transaction in young adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81,1190–1204.

47.

Pals

J. L.

(1999).Identity consolidation in early adulthood: Relations with ego‐resiliency, the context of marriage, and personality change. Journal of Personality, 67,295–329.

48.

Quintana

S. M.

Maxwell

S. E.

(1999).Implications of recent developments in structural equation modeling for counseling psychology. Counseling Psychologist, 27,485–527.

49.

Roberts

B. W.

Del Vecchio

W. F.

(2000).The rank‐order consistency of personality traits from childhood to old age: A quantitative review of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 126,3–25.

50.

Roberts

B. W.

O'Donnel

Robins

R. W.

(2004).Goal and personality trait development in emerging adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87,541–550.

51.

Robins

R. W.

Fraley

R. C.

Roberts

B. W.

Trzesniewski

K. H.

(2001).A longitudinal study of personality change in young adulthood. Journal of Personality, 69,617–640.

52.

Robins

R. W.

Noftle

E. E.

Trzesniewski

K. H.

Roberts

B. W.

(2005).Do people know how their personality has changed? Correlates of perceived and actual personality change in young adulthood. Journal of Personality, 73,490–522.

53.

Satorra

Bentler

P. M.

(1994). Corrections to test statistics and standard errors in covariance structure analysis. In A. Von Eye , & C. C. Clogg (Eds.), Latent variables analysis: Applications for developmental research(pp.399–419). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

54.

Saucier

(2002).Orthogonal markers for orthogonal factors: The case of the Big Five. Journal of Research in Personality, 36,1–31.

55.

Saucier

Goldberg

L. R.

(1998).What is beyond the Big Five? Journal of Personality, 66,495–524.

56.

Schwartz

S. J.

(2005).A new identity for identity research: Recommendations for expanding and refocusing the identity literature. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20,293–308.

57.

Schwartz

S. J.

Dunham

R. M.

(2000).Identity status formulae: Generating continuous measures of the identity statuses from measures of exploration and commitment. Adolescence, 35,147–165.

58.

Soenens

Duriez

Goossens

(2005).Social‐psychological profiles of identity styles: Attitudinal and social‐cognitive correlates of late adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 28,107–125.

59.

Stephen

Fraser

Marcia

J. E.

(1992).Moratorium‐achievement (Mama) cycles in lifespan identity development: Value orientations and reasoning system correlates. Journal of Adolescence, 15,283–300.

60.

Srivastava

Oliver

J. P.

Gosling

S. D.

Potter

(2003).Development of personality in early and middle adulthood: Set like plaster or persistent change? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84,1041–1053.

61.

Tesch

S. A.

Cameron

K. A.

(1987).Openness to experience and development of adult identity. Journal of Personality, 55,615–630.

62.

Vollrath

Torgersen

(2000).Personality types and coping. Personality and Individual Differences, 29,367–378.

63.

Waterman

A. S.

(1993). Developmental perspectives on identity formation: From adolescence to adulthood. In J. E. Marcia , A. S. Waterman , D. R. Matteson , S. L. Archer , & J. L. Orlofsky (Eds.), Identity: A handbook for psychosocial research(pp.42–68). New York: Springer‐Verlag.

64.

Whitbourne

S. K.

(1986).Openness to experience, identity flexibility, and life change in adults. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50,163–168.

65.

Willett

J. B.

Sayer

A. G.

(1994).Using Covariance Structure Analysis to detect correlates and predictors of individual change over time. Psychological Bulletin, 116,363–381.