Name and describe the four identity statuses that researchers use to evaluate progress in identity development

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: Adolescents’ well-organized self-descriptions and differentiated sense of self-esteem provide the cognitive foundation for forming an identity. Using a clinical interviewing procedure devised by James Marcia (1980) or briefer questionnaire measures, researchers commonly evaluate progress in identity development on two key criteria derived from Erikson’s theory: exploration and commitment. Their various combinations yield four identity statuses:
1. Identity achievement: Having explored alternatives, identity-achieved individuals are committed to clearly formulated self-chosen values and goals. They feel a sense of psychological well-being, or sameness through time, and of knowing where they are going.
2. Identity moratorium: Moratorium means “delay or holding pattern.” These individuals have not yet made definite commitments. They are in the process of exploring—gathering information and trying out activities, with the desire to find values and goals to guide their lives.
3. Identity foreclosure: Identity-foreclosed individuals have committed themselves to values and goals without exploring alternatives. They accept a ready-made identity chosen for them by authority figures—usually parents but sometimes teachers, religious leaders, or romantic partners.
4. Identity diffusion: Identity-diffused individuals lack clear direction. They are not committed to values and goals, nor are they actively trying to reach them. They may never have explored alternatives or may have found the task too threatening and overwhelming.