Curtis S. Dunkel

Terrorism: An Identity Theory Perspective

The present article outlines the role of personal, social, and cultural identity in religiously and ethnically motivated terrorism. It is proposed that terrorism represents the confluence of a cultural identity strongly based in collectivism and in fundamentalist adherence to religious or cultural principles, a social identity based in sharp contrasts between ones own group and groups perceived as threats, and a foreclosed and authoritarian sense of personal identity or, less often, a diffused and aimless personal identity. Examples from religious-extremist and ethnic conflicts in which terrorism has been employed are used to illustrate the tenets advanced here. Recommendations for addressing and preventing the threat of terrorism are discussed.

The Relation Between Self-Continuity and Measures of Identity

Conceptualizations of Eriksons (1968) fifth psychosocial stage, identity formation, have been criticized for failing to be inclusive of an individuals sense of self-continuity. However, recent research has shown that identity commitment is significantly correlated to measures of continuity. This study further examined the relation among measures of identity, including identity commitment and continuity. The results suggest that many of the current measures of identity do indeed share a significant amount of variance with continuity. The specific results concerning identity commitment and continuity add to the growing evidence that these constructs are reliably related.

Are All Identity Commitments Created Equally? The Importance of Motives for Commitment for Late Adolescents' Personal Adjustment.

On the basis of self-determination theory it is proposed that adolescents’ motives for forming and maintaining identity-relevant commitments can be either autonomous or controlled in nature. This study examined whether motives for identity commitments would add to the prediction of late adolescents’ adjustment beyond the effect of strength of commitment per se. In addition, it was examined how late adolescents’ identity-processing styles would relate to motives for commitment and whether motives for commitment would mediate between identity styles and adjustment. In a sample of 431 late adolescents it was found that autonomous and controlled motives were, respectively, positively and negatively related to adjustment even after taking into account the role of strength of commitment. Each of the three identity styles showed a specific pattern of associations with the motives for commitment, with an information-oriented style relating to the most autonomous and internalized motivational profile. Mediation analyses showed that at least part of the associations between identity styles and adjustment are mediated by motives for commitment. Directions for future research are discussed.

Overlap between the general factor of personality and emotional intelligence: A meta-analysis.

We examine the relationship between the general factor of personality (GFP) and emotional intelligence (EI) and specifically test the hypothesis that the GFP is a social effectiveness factor overlapping conceptually with EI. Presented is an extensive meta-analysis in which the associations between the GFP, extracted from the Big Five dimensions, with various EI measures is examined. Based on a total sample of k = 142 data sources (N = 36,268) the 2 major findings from the meta-analysis were (a) a large overlap between the GFP and trait EI (r ≈ .85); and (b) a positive, but more moderate, correlation with ability EI (r ≈ .28). These findings show that high-GFP individuals score higher on trait and ability EI, supporting the notion that the GFP is a social effectiveness factor. The findings also suggest that the GFP is very similar, perhaps even synonymous, to trait EI.

Terror Management Theory and Identity: The Effect of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on Anxiety and Identity Change

Baumeister and Muraven (1996) reasoned that those who have a well-formed identity should express a greater amount of fear when faced with the prospect of their own death. In Study 1, terror management theory methodology was applied to test this hypothesis. The results show that individuals who were exploring their identity had greater identity exploration scores when reminded of their death in comparison to those who were not given such a reminder. In Study 2, the effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on identity and anxiety were examined using a terrorism salience approach. The results show that reminders of the terrorist attacks produced greater anxiety in those who were exploring their identity and less anxiety in those who were not exploring. Terrorism salience also produced greater identity commitment, especially in those who were exploring their identity.

Eriksonian Lifespan Theory and Life History Theory: An Integration Using the Example of Identity Formation

Furthering the cause of consilience in the social sciences a model is proposed in which Eriksonian life span theory and life history theory are integrated. The model explains individual differences in the Eriksonian developmental stages as a function of the individual differences in developmental trajectories of life history theory as conceptualized by Belsky, Steinberg, and Draper (1991). Eriksons fifth stage of identity formation is used to examine the model, with the results of three studies presented to illustrate the viability of the model. Future research should examine other aspects of the model and the relationship between the developmental trajectories in life history theory and the Eriksonian stages in greater detail.

Explaining Differences in Identity Styles: Possible Roles of Personality and Family Functioning

There are stylistic differences in the manner in which late adolescents approach or manage to avoid the tasks of constructing and revising their sense of identity. This study investigated the role that family functioning and personality variables may play in explaining variation in the adoption of these identity processing styles among late adolescent college students. The findings indicated that personality, but not family functioning, variables accounted for significant unique variation in informational and diffuse-avoidant identity style scores. Although personality variables accounted for variation in normative identity style scores, family functioning variables also made a significant contribution even after the variance explained by personality was controlled. The possible roles of personality and family functioning in identity style formation are discussed.

The Effect of Life Expectancy on Aggression and Generativity: A Life History Perspective:

Following a model that is inclusive of both dispositional and situational influences on life-history behaviors and attitudes, the effect of life expectancies on aggression and generativity was examined. Consistent with the hypotheses it was found that shorter life expectancies led to an increase in the desire to aggress and a decrease in the desire to engage in generative behaviors. The results are discussed in terms of how life history theory can be used to frame research on person-situation interactions.

The Effect of Individual Differences and Manipulated Life Expectancies on the Willingness to Engage in Sexual Coercion

The role of the individual difference variables of mate value, short-term and long-term mating preferences, and life history strategy along with the manipulated variable of life expectancy were used to predict differences in the willingness to engage in sexually coercive behaviors. Short-term preferences and long-term preferences were correlated with the willingness to engage in sexual coercion at all life expectancies. Life history strategy was correlated with the willingness to engage in sexual coercion at only the shortest and longest life expectancies. Most importantly short-term and long-term mating preferences interacted with life expectancy to predict the willingness to engage in sexually coercive behaviors. Short life expectancies increased willingness in individuals with high short-term and low long-term preferences. The results are discussed in terms of the varying theories of sexual coercion with emphasis put on a life history approach.

Direct and Indirect Effects of Birth Order on Personality and Identity: Support for the Null Hypothesis

The authors proposed that birth order affects psychosocial outcomes through differential investment from parent to child and differences in the degree of identification from child to parent. The authors conducted this study to test these 2 models. Despite the use of statistical and methodological procedures to increase sensitivity and reduce error, the authors did not find support for the models. They discuss results in the context of the mixed-research findings regarding birth order and suggest further research on the proposed developmental dynamics that may produce birth-order effects.