Abstract
Objectives: The current study evaluated the mediational role of well-being in the relationship between identity development and psychosocial functioning. Method: A sample of 7,649 undergraduate students (73% female; mean age = 19.95, standard deviation = 1.98; 62% Caucasian) completed measures of personal identity, well-being, internalizing symptoms, externalizing problems, and health-risk behaviors. Results: Results revealed that (a) identity exploration and commitment were negatively associated with internalizing symptoms, health-risk behaviors, and externalizing problems through well-being, (b) ruminative exploration was negatively associated with well-being and positively associated with externalizing problems, and (c) increased levels of ruminative exploration appear more detrimental for men than for women. Conclusion: The study shed light on the mechanisms through which identity processes are related to internalizing symptoms, externalizing problems, and health-risk behaviors. The role of well-being in these associations, and the potentially deleterious "side effects" of exploration and commitment appear to suggest new and important directions for identity research.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 415-432 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Journal of clinical psychology |
Volume | 69 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2013 |
Keywords
- College students
- Health risk behavior
- Identity
- Ruminative exploration
- Satisfaction with life
- Self-esteem
- Well-being