Dennis R. Papini

Development and validation of the revised Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5): factor structure, reliability, and validity.

Identity processing style refers to differences in how individuals process identity-relevant information as they engage or manage to avoid the challenges of constructing, maintaining, and/or reconstructing a sense of identity. The third version of the Identity Style Inventory (Berzonsky, 1992b) has been used to operationally define identity styles in most empirical investigations. The objective of the present series of studies was the development and validation of a new revised measure of identity processing style: Identity Style Inventory-Version 5 (ISI-5). Initially a pool of 39 generic items was generated that highlighted the processing of identity-relevant information on content-neutral issues such as personal values, goals, problems, and the like. Three style scales were identified by Exploratory Factor Analysis: A 9-item Informational-style scale; a 9-item Normative-style scale; and a 9-item Diffuse-avoidant style scale. Confirmatory factor analysis on an independent sample indicated that this 3-factor solution provided the best fit. Results from 5 studies provided evidence for the psychometric properties of the scales. Scores on the 3 style scales demonstrated good test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Theoretically predicted correlations between the ISI-5 scale scores and performance on measures of identity status, content, and commitment, and measures of rational and automatic processing provided evidence for their convergent and discriminant validity. It is concluded that the scales should be useful for researchers interested in investigating individual differences in identity processing style. Limitations and directions for future research are considered.

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.

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.

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.

Identity Processing Styles and Value Orientations: The Mediational Role of Self-Regulation and Identity Commitment

Recent research has found systematic associations between identity processing styles (how individuals negotiate the process of identity formation) and value orientations (personal views about what values and goals should be pursued). This investigation evaluated the hypothesis that these relationships would at least in part be mediated by individual differences in self-regulation and self-defining commitment. Consistent with previous research, an informational identity style was positively associated with values that transcended selfish interest whereas a normative style was positively associated with values that emphasized security and tradition. A diffuse-avoidant identity style was positively associated with values that highlighted self-interest. As hypothesized, a number of the relationships were mediated by the commitments the participants held and their levels of self-regulatory resources. The more self-defining the participants considered their commitments to be, the more likely they were to endorse traditional values or those that transcended their own self-interest. High levels of self-regulation were associated positively with traditional values and negatively with values that promoted self-indulgence and self-promotion. The role values, commitments, and self-regulatory resources may play in how individuals approach or avoid constructing and maintaining a sense of identity is considered.

Cognitive Reasoning, Identity Components, and Identity Processing Styles

This study evaluated the hypothesis that relationships between cognitive reasoning processes and the types of identity components (i.e., personal, collective, or social) that individuals emphasize in defining who they are would at least in part be mediated by identity processing styles. Results indicated rational processing was linked positively to a personal identity emphasis and negatively to a social emphasis. Intuitive processing was positively linked to all three identity emphases. As hypothesized, all of the direct relationships were at least partially mediated by identity processing style. Specifically, the positive association between rational processing and a personal identity emphasis was completely mediated by the informational and diffuse-avoidant identity styles. The negative association between rational processing and a social identity emphasis was completely mediated by all three identity styles. The informational and normative styles mediated the structural paths from intuitive processing to a collective identity (completely) and social identity (partially) emphasis. Finally, the positive relationship between intuitive reasoning and personal identity was mediated by the informational, but not normative, style. This pattern of relationships was not moderated by the sex of the participants. The role that cognitive processing strategies and identity styles may play in how individuals define themselves and form a sense of identity was considered.

Older Adults' Affect While Watching Television

Abstract Recent theory has explored the relationship between daily context and emotion. While suggesting individuals structure daily activities in search of a particular affect state, few attempts have been made to highlight the relationship between a specific activity and emotion. The current study is part of a larger project examining the daily lives of older adults in which the most common leisure pursuit was found to be television (Intrieri, Goodwin, & Papini, 1990). Present analyses explore affect while watching TV in comparison to other activities. Sixty-nine older adults (Mean age = 71.8) participated in a study of daily life utilizing Experience Sampling Methodology. Across a 7-day period, participants responded to 6 signals a day for 42 signals per person. In response to each signal, participants completed a questionnaire containing items related to activity and emotion. Analyses indicate participants exhibit less positive emotion while watching TV than when engaged in other activities (p< .001). Participants also endorsed less negative affect while watching TV than during other activities (though there were no statistically significant differences in negative affect while watching TV and negative affect during all other activities).

Attending to the role of identity exploration in self-esteem Longitudinal associations between identity styles and two features of self-esteem

Although research suggests an interplay between identity development and self-esteem, most studies focused on the role of identity commitment and measured only level of self-esteem. This study examined longitudinal associations between Berzonsky’s (2011) styles of identity exploration and two distinct features of self-esteem: level of self-esteem and contingent self-esteem. Participants were 167 college students (mean age = 19 years; 66% female) who completed questionnaires tapping into identity styles and features of self-esteem at two measurement waves separated by a 4-month interval. Both information-oriented and normative styles were found to be predicted by contingent self-esteem. Follow-up analyses demonstrated that the content of contingent self-esteem predicting both identity styles was different. A diffuse-avoidant identity style was predicted mainly by low levels of self-esteem. Although we also observed some effects of identity styles on the self-esteem variables, the self-esteem variables had overall a more consistent influence on the identity styles than the other way around.