Identity Development

The Identity Status Approach

Jim Marcia proposed the first empirical application of Erikson’s theory, the identity status paradigm, which most clearly captures the assessment of personal identity, with the developmental issue at play focused on finding one’s roles in society. In particular, researchers examine the processes of exploration and commitment in various identity domains, such as politics and religion. Exploration involves seeking out new information, talking to others, reflecting on one’s beliefs, and other activities that facilitate thinking about one’s take [Page 1094]on these culturally important domains of consideration. For example, in exploring one’s political identity, one may talk with others about their political beliefs, examine party platforms, and consider one’s personal values. Commitment involves staking one’s claim to these various roles, such as registering as a Republican or a Democrat.

One can take these two processes of exploration and commitment and determine four different places to be in the process of identity development, each with different implications for psychological health. Achievement involves commitment after a period of exploration, and is viewed as the most complete, and thus the healthiest resolution to this task. Moratorium represents the state of exploring, without yet committing. Although this is developmentally normal in adolescence and emerging adulthood, individuals in this state can experience anxiety due to the uncertainty about who they are or who they might be. Foreclosure involves a commitment to valued roles but without any preceding exploration. This can be conceptualized as adopting the beliefs or expectations of others, such as one’s family, without much thought. Individuals who are foreclosed tend to be more rigid in their thinking but have strong relationships with their families and are relatively certain about who they are. There are also some suggestions that the degree to which foreclosure is psychologically healthy depends in part on the culture in which the individual resides, with foreclosure potentially a healthier outcome for those in more hierarchical cultures. The final category is diffusion, representing those individuals who have neither explored nor committed to these various domains. This state of being is associated with poor psychological health, given that it suggests that someone is not tackling the appropriate developmental task.

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