NCJ Number
221584
Journal
Journal of Early Adolescence Volume: 28 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2008 Pages: 92-114
Date Published
February 2008
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This study assessed the role of relational (parent, peer, teacher) support as a predictor of identity status.
Abstract
Findings suggest that relational support may play a greater role in promoting the formation and maintenance of commitments than in the exploration of alternatives; ethnicity is an important factor to the identity status research, as significant effects for the relational support variables varied between ethnic groups. Parental support predicted higher foreclosure and lower moratorium in White students, higher achievement in Latinos, and higher diffusion in African-Americans. Peer support predicted higher achievement in Whites and African-Americans, and higher diffusion in African-Americans. Rational support in early adolescence may help individuals make commitments, but may inhibit them from initiating exploration of identity alternatives. The relative contribution of parental and peer support appears to differ by ethnicity; and the functions of parental support during early adolescence may differ by ethnicity, with African-American parents supportive of greater diffusion, White ethnic background parents supportive of greater foreclosure, and Latino ethnic background parents supportive of greater achievements. African-American early adolescents may be particularly conflicted about their identity and, in particular, within the context of their peer relationships. Teacher support was not a significant predictor of political, religious, and career identity, but teachers should not be excluded from further consideration, as they may play a role in adolescent development in other domains. The sample consisted of 635 participants from a cohort of eighth-grade students attending 2 urban, multiethnic, low-income middle schools in the northeastern United States. Tables, references