Method Participants

1. Predictors of Identities in Young Adult Populations University of Nebraska at Lincoln Mark C. Schroeder • Introduction • Purpose • Provide new understanding of subjective identity maturity in order for it to be used as a valid measurement in the future. Subjective identity maturity, as defined by psychologist Augusto Blasi, is the degree by which one has control over his or her identity and has “a desire to live consistent with one’s core identity contents” (Hardy, 2005, p. 2). Identity content is one’s set of unique beliefs and individual characteristics. • Subjective Identity Maturity • Social Role Identity: individuals sense the self as comprised from simple socially approved traits, relations, appearance, and other external aspects • Identity Observed: an individual’s sense of self is given from an increased importance of sincerity, feelings and self reflection. In addition, the self is also viewed as naturally given • Management of Identity: includes individuals who feel a responsibility for the management of the self, need for the self to be exercised in daily action, and an expression of the self in relation to achieving an ultimate goal or solving problems. It is a more mature level of subjective identity involving an emphasis on a philosophy of life and characteristics of agency (i.e. being the originator of your identity or thoughts and actions) in contrast to the salience of feelings or sincerity addressed in the identity observed level. • Identity as Authenticity: one is able affirm autonomy of his or her self, relate to world-wide concerns, and yet there is an “openness to truth and objectivity in determining one’s life and identity” (Blasi & Milton, 1991, p. 105). • Hypotheses • 1. Empathy will have no relation with management of identity. • 2. Social role identity will have a negative relation with management of identity. • 3. Identity observed will have a negative relation with management of identity. • 4. Religion variables will classify individuals into the identity observed and higher identity modes category from the below identity observed category (i.e. religion variables will score well in high subjective identity maturity and not so well with low subjective identity maturity). • 5. Identity diffusion will score well while religion variables will not score well for low subjective identity maturity. Results Population Comparison A series of regression analyses were run to examine the relationships between management of identity (MI) and gender, identity diffusion, prayer or meditation, identity observed, social role identity, identity agency, and empathy and compare the models derived from Catholic and Protestant participants. Table 2 shows the univariate statistics, correlations of each variable with MI, and the multiple regression weights for the two groups. For Catholics, identity diffusion and identity agency were significantly negative correlations while gender, prayer or meditation, identity observed, social role identity, identity agency, and empathy were not correlated with MI. For Protestants, empathy had a significantly positive correlation while all other variables were not correlated. For Catholics this model produced, F (7,15) = 21.813, p < .001. Table 2 shows gender had a significantly positive regression weight while identity observed and identity agency had significantly negative regression weights. Although identity diffusion was significantly correlated with MI, it did not have a significant regression weight in the multiple regression model. Prayer or meditation, social role identity, and empathy were neither correlated nor had significant regression weights in the multiple regression model. For Protestants this model produced, F (7,14) = 1.556, p = .228. While empathy was significantly correlated with MI, it did not have a significant regression weight in the multiple regression model as shown in Table 2. Moreover, all other variables were neither correlated nor had significant regression weights in the multiple regression model. Comparison of the fit of the model from the Catholic (R2 = .911) and Protestant (R2 = .438) groups revealed the model works significantly better for Catholics than for Protestants, Z = 3.283, p < .01. A comparison of the structure of the models from the two groups was also conducted by applying the model derived from the Protestant participants to the data from the Catholic participants and comparing the resulting “crossed” R2 with the direct R2 originally obtained from this group. The direct R2 = .954 and the crossed R2 = .627 were significantly different, Z = 4.4, p < .01, indicating that structural differences exist between the models produced for each population. Comparison of β weights revealed that identity observed, identity agency, and gender do not contribute to the Protestant model, while they are major contributors to the Catholic model. Concentrated Linear Discriminant Function Discriminant analysis was used to determine if participants’ high (IO and above) and low identity (below IO) differed in measurements of identity diffusion, identity observed (IO), management of identity, identity agency, religiosity composite, importance of religion, how often pray or meditate, and empathy composite. Table 3 shows the means and standard deviations for each treatment group and related F-tests. Identity diffusion, religiosity composite, importance of religion, and how often pray or meditate were the only measures, as seen in the table, which produced significant differences between the groups. Those with low identity had significantly higher diffusion scores than those with high identity. Those with low identity had significantly lower scores for religiosity composite, importance of religion, and how often pray or meditate than those with high identity. Multivariate analysis revealed that the discriminant function reliably differentiated between the patient groups (λ = .754, X2 (8) = 21.472, p = .006, R2 –canonical = .496). Table 4 shows the standardized canonical coefficients and structure weights for these two models. ANOVA analyses with LSD minimum mean difference comparisons were performed to determine which groups were significantly discriminated between by the discriminant function. Figure 1 (LDF plot) gives a graphical depiction of the multivariate results and Table 5 shows the re-classification results from the LDF model. The discriminant function shows those with low identity were separated from those with high identities by having higher scores in identity diffusion and lower scores in religiosity composite, importance of religion, and how often pray or meditate, F (1,80) = 26.119, p < .001. Method Participants The sample for this study used students from a large Midwestern university. Thirty-two males comprised 35.2% while 59 females comprised 64.8% of the participants. The total sample size was 91 consisting of 4 students of Black ethnicity (4.4%), 73 students of White ethnicity (80.2%), 2 students of Hispanic ethnicity (2.2%), 5 students of Asian ethnicity (5.5%), 2 students of Native-American ethnicity (2.2%), and 5 students of other ethnicity (5.5%). The average age of the students was 22 (S.D. = 3.01) with a range from 19 to 35 years (Table 1). Materials This study used data from a larger dissertation study that examined the relation of identity development with prosocial behavior (Hardy, 2005). Questions in a demographic survey pertinent to the present study allowed participants to report their age, gender (males = 0, females =1), ethnicity, religious affiliation, how often pray or meditate each week, and importance of religion (1-6 scale). For the population comparison in this study, religious affiliation was recoded only to include Catholics and Protestants. The Sense of Self interview provided data on the developmentally-ordered forms of subjective identity (i.e. identity modes) such as social role identity (SI), identity observed (IO), management of identity (MI), and authenticity of identity (IA). Interviews were coded according to the Global Scoring guidelines (Blasi, 1994). These identities were coded as 1 (SI), 3 (IO), 5 (MI), 6 (IA) with 2 and 4 as less defined transitional identities. These were divided into low subjective identity maturity (below IO) and high subjective identity maturity (IO and above). Quantitative variables of social role identity, identity observed, management of identity, and identity agency were reverse coded from items on the Real Me questionnaire. The identity agency variable proved to be unrelated to the idea of agency measuring the degree by which one views his or her self as the originator of his or her identity which the variable was intended to measure. Therefore, conclusions directly from this variable are not deduced. Religiosity composite was computed as a mean score of 10 items from the Religiosity scale (Hill & Hood, 1999). Empathy composite was computed as a mean score of 14 items from the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1983). Lastly, identity diffusion was computed from an 8 item subscale of the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (Bennion & Adams, 1986). Procedures Participants were questioned using the Sense of Self interview and given a demographics survey and a series of self report questionnaires. These interviews were later transcribed by research assistants and coded by a set of other research assistants. The experimenter asked for contact information of five other peers and told participants these contacts would be asked to provide information concerning behavior of the participants similar to what was asked in the questionnaires. A research assistant questioned the first two peers contacted by phone using an interviewer-administered scale, and the data provided in these interviews provided information on the prosocial behavior of the participant that came to the research lab. Discussion This study investigated five questions for the purpose of understanding subjective identity maturity and determining how religious context plays a role in relation to Blasi’s identity modes. The study found religion is important for identity observed and higher levels of subjective identity maturity. Before making any further conclusions, it is important to recognize a few points. First, the population comparison in this study is likely skewed greatly by the invalid measurement by the identity agency variable. Second, the purpose of this study was to bring further understanding to Blasi’s subjective identity maturities since the practical use of the scale is known to be difficult. The study does not favor or disfavor denominations. Third, there are many variables unaccounted for in the study that could allow for different outcomes. Fourth, this study did not have samples large enough to be greatly representative of each denomination. There were many limitations, but findings from the hypotheses provide some inferences worthy of note. This study brought further understanding to the subjective identity maturities. Empathy did not show any relation to management of identity. This supports the assumption that management of identity is not characterized by emotion. Higher scores in identity observed predicted lower management of identity, while social role identity had no linear relationship. This indicates that social role identity and management of identity need to be distinguished better, but the assumption that identity observed is separate from management of identity is fully supported. Religion variables classified individuals into high subjective identity maturity from low subjective identity maturity indicating religion plays an important role in Blasi’s identity modes. In addition, identity diffusion was higher at low subjective identity maturity. This supports the definition of identity diffusion and Markstrom’s (1999) study that commitment is related with religious participation while identity diffusion is related with less religious participation and commitment. With these findings we could suggest religious value and commitment are characteristics within high but not low subjective identity maturity. Religious value is likely important as a characteristic also specifically for identity observed since previous literature shows emotion, an essential characteristic of identity observed, is an important part of religious value (Emmons & Paloutzian, 2003). Future research on subjective identity maturity can be beneficial towards learning the role identity plays in human behavior. First and foremost, the present study should be replicated with a true valid measurement of identity agency and other variables as well with more representative samples. Future research should distinguish social role identity from management of identity if they can be distinguished. The religion bias in Blasi’s identity modes must be investigated along with how certain psychological variables are influenced differently by denominations. For example, studies may examine why a decrease in identity observed and being female were contributors for management of identity for Catholics. Researching the influence of denomination on psychological variables may provide insight into solving conflicts in places where identity can be greatly influenced by religion as in Northern Ireland. Identity as shaped by religion can influence how young adults treat members of their own and other religious groups in Northern Ireland (Cassidy & Trew, 2004). Given the new trend in research towards identity and its relationship with prosocial behavior advocated in Hardy’s (2005) study, moral identity development education plans may eventually be incorporated into youth development or moral education programs. If continued research brings further understanding of Blasi’s concept of subjective identity maturity, it may in the future be used as an assessment in facilitating environments that support development of a moral identity. Figure 1 Linear Discriminant Function Graphical Plot