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Similarities or Differences in Identity Development? The Impact of Acculturation and Gender on Identity Process and Outcome

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Abstract

This study examined the effects of variations in acculturation and gender on identity processes and outcomes. Three hundred fifty-seven students at a culturally diverse university completed measures of identity processes (exploration, commitment, and identity style) and outcomes (identity status). The generalizability of the underlying identity processes across contextual variations was ascertained by evaluating the consistency of factor solutions across immigrant generation and gender. Results suggested that the processes underlying identity development are consistent across variations in acculturation and gender. Supplemental analyses revealed effects of acculturation and gender on the extent to which individuals utilized various identity processes and manifested various identity outcomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Family Studies, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida

    Seth J. Schwartz

  2. Department of Psychology, Florida International University, University Park Campus, Miami, Florida, 33199

    Marilyn J. Montgomery

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  1. Seth J. Schwartz
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  2. Marilyn J. Montgomery
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Schwartz, S.J., Montgomery, M.J. Similarities or Differences in Identity Development? The Impact of Acculturation and Gender on Identity Process and Outcome. Journal of Youth and Adolescence 31, 359–372 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015628608553

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