TY - JOUR
T1 - Personal growth initiative and identity formation in adolescence through young adulthood
T2 - Mediating processes on the pathway to well-being
AU - Luyckx, Koen
AU - Robitschek, Christine
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.
Copyright:
Copyright 2016 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Developing a personal identity is a challenging task throughout adolescence and the transition to adulthood. The present study sampling 551 14-35 year olds (54.1% female) examined personal growth initiative (PGI) as a potential predictor of core identity processes and explored whether identity functioned as a mediator on the pathway from PGI to self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Path analyses from a structural equation modeling approach indicated that all four components of PGI (i.e., planfulness, readiness for change, intentional behavior, and using resources) predicted different commitment and exploration processes, with planfulness being the most consistent predictor. Important age differences linking PGI-components to identity exploration were found. Finally, especially the degree to which individuals identified themselves with their identity commitments and the degree to which they relied on ruminative or maladaptive forms of identity exploration mediated pathways from PGI to self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
AB - Developing a personal identity is a challenging task throughout adolescence and the transition to adulthood. The present study sampling 551 14-35 year olds (54.1% female) examined personal growth initiative (PGI) as a potential predictor of core identity processes and explored whether identity functioned as a mediator on the pathway from PGI to self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Path analyses from a structural equation modeling approach indicated that all four components of PGI (i.e., planfulness, readiness for change, intentional behavior, and using resources) predicted different commitment and exploration processes, with planfulness being the most consistent predictor. Important age differences linking PGI-components to identity exploration were found. Finally, especially the degree to which individuals identified themselves with their identity commitments and the degree to which they relied on ruminative or maladaptive forms of identity exploration mediated pathways from PGI to self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
KW - Commitment
KW - Exploration
KW - Identity
KW - Mediation
KW - Personal growth initiative
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84931397266&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.07.009
DO - 10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.07.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 25105959
AN - SCOPUS:84931397266
VL - 37
SP - 973
EP - 981
JO - Journal of Adolescence
JF - Journal of Adolescence
SN - 0140-1971
IS - 7
ER -