Identity Processing Styles and Psychosocial Balance during Early and Middle Adulthood: The Role of Identity in Intimacy and Generativity

Abstract

Identity styles and Eriksonian psychosocial balance were examined in young adults (N = 163; 64.4% women) and middle-aged adults (N = 132; 51.5% women). Participants completed self-report measures of identity styles (informational, normative, and diffuseavoidant), identity commitment, and psychosocial balance (identity, intimacy, and generativity). Different patterns of psychosocial balance were found for each identity style, with largely consistent findings across age groups. The diffuse-avoidant style was negatively associated with all forms of psychosocial balance, the normative style was positively associated with identity and intimacy balance, and the informational style was positively associated with intimacy and generativity. Structural equation modeling revealed that identity balance predicted both intimacy and generativity for the diffuse-avoidant style (negative prediction) and normative style (positive prediction), whereas the informational style provided direct positive prediction of intimacy and generativity. The importance of an informational identity style for psychosocial balance during both early and middle adulthood is discussed.

Towards and understanding of the immigrant experience: Social-cognitive processes of identity development during cultural transition

“…Our results indicate that being normative to the host society is associated with a coherent and positively evaluated identity, at least during the first year of cultural transition. This is in line with previous findings in the literature showing that the normative style is often related to an achieved identity (Berzonsky, 1989(Berzonsky, , 2008Berzonsky & Kuk, 2000;Krettenauer, 2005) and more positive identity outcomes (Beaumont & Pratt, 2011;Crocetti et al, 2009;Luyckx et al, 2007;Nurmi et al, 1997;Passmore et al, 2005).…”

“…In addition to the indirect effects, diffuseavoidance showed a direct negative link to self-concept clarity and self-esteem. This confirms past research findings with the general population showing that diffuse-avoidance is commonly related to more negative identity outcomes (Beaumont & Pratt, 2011;Beaumont & Scammell, 2012;Johnson & Nozick, 2011;Luyckx et al, 2007;Vleioras & Bosma, 2005).…”

Creativity in Adulthood

“…Generativity is understood here as productivity associated with transmission of values and traditions to younger generation (McAdams & Logan, 2004). There is empirical evidence that on average, people in established adulthood show higher generative balance than emerging adults (Beaumont & Pratt, 2011).…”

Associations of attachment orientation with early generative concern across adolescence

“…Moreover, his work on identity, the stage most closely associated with adolescence, suggests generativity has clear ties with adolescents' core identity work, including "feeling essential in moving something along toward an open future" (Erikson, 1988, p.10). Empirically, a number of studies have linked identity with generativity in younger populations (Beaumont & Pratt, 2011;Busch & Hofer, 2011;Lawford, Astrologo, Ramey, & Linden-Andersen, 2017;Lawford & Ramey, 2015;Matsuba, Pratt, Norris, Mohle, Alisat, & McAdams, 2012). For example, in Lawford and Ramey's (2015) study of youths' personal stories about out-of-school activities, generative youth tended to tell stories that carried greater insight about the larger implications of their experiences.…”