Crisis as Opportunity: Personality Constructs and Erikson Identity Development

Abstract

Identity development theory suggests that the developmental trajectory from childhood through young adulthood involves a movement from exploration towards eventual tentative commitment to adult values, beliefs, and career goals. Currently little research has focused on the impact of personality traits commonly studied in personal counseling and career work with collegeattending emerging adults on the process of identity development. This study examined the predictive quality of personality preferences on Erickson's and Marcia's operationalization of identity status. More specifically, do particular personality preferences derived from the Myers-Briggs Typology Indicator more often result in particular Eriksonian identity statuses (i.e., foreclosed, diffused, moratorium or achieved) with college-attending young adults? Personality traits were measured by the MBTI and identity status was measured via the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status. Multinomial logistical regression was employed in the study with odds ratios constituting the measure of effect size. Emerging adults attending a Southern public land grant institution participated in the study. Demographic information was collected and included in the model. Several findings suggested how the MBTI personality preferences may predict exploration of, and commitment to, adult beliefs, values and career goals for individual who exhibited Extroversion, Intuition and Judging preferences. The Perceiving preference approached significance. There was also a novel finding regarding ethnicity and ego identity development. Students who identified as ethnic minorities reported greater odds of explored commitments compared to their White peers. Clinical implications and suggestions for further research were also discussed.

Kimlik Gelişiminin Boyutları Ölçeğinin Okul Dışı Genç Kadınlar Üzerinde Geçerlik ve Güvenirlik Çalışması

“…Orijinal formunun (Luyckx ve ark., 2008a) ise hem ergenler hem de beliren yetişkinler üzerinde yapıldığı KGBÖ'nün, Türkçe uyarlamasının yalnızca ergenler üzerinde gerçekleştirildiği görülmektedir (Morsünbül, 2011;Morsünbül ve Çok, 2014). Ancak kimlik biçimlenmesi beliren yetişkinlik döneminde de şekillenmeye devam ettiğinden (Cookston ve Remy, 2015;Ruth, 2013), bu çalışma beliren yetişkinlere odaklanarak kimliğin ölçümüne ilişkin incelemelerde bulunmuştur. Dolayısıyla bu çalışma, hem beliren yetişkinlik dönemindeki kadınlara hem de okul dışı katılımcılara dönük bir ölçme aracı sağlama açısından önemlidir.…”

“…Bu ölçme aracının farklı kavramlarla incelenmesi kadınlarda kimlik biçimlenmesinin daha iyi anlaşılmasına olanak sağlayacağı gibi, süreç odaklı çalışmalara da katkıda bulunacaktır. identity development continues to take shape in the emerging adulthood (Ruth, 2013) and it is suggested that identity development may be different in women (Erikson, 1994;Gilligan, 2017), it is considered appropriate to repeat the psychometric analysis of the scale on young women. This study is important in terms of providing a measurement tool for both women and out-of-school participants in order for researchers to reach out to different people in the region and examine their identity functions.…”

“…In Turkey, these models adapted to Turkish individuals was conducted on adolescent models for the scale (Morsunbul, 2011). Considering that identity development is shaped during the youth (Ruth, 2013) and that identity development differs among women (Erikson, 1994), it is important to introduce new measurement tools related to the process models of identity into Turkish. As a result of Erikson's observation about gender differences, he mentioned that the order of the psychosocial developmental stage in women may change.…”