Karin Bartoszuk

Does Family Structure Matter? A Domain-Specific Examination of Identity Exploration and Commitment

This exploratory study examines identity exploration and commitment in different domains and how family structure (original/alternative), gender, and age affect these processes in a convenience sample of 388 college students. Results reveal that participants from alternative family structures explore more in the political and gender role domains than do participants from original families. Furthermore, women explore more in the occupational and friendship domains and are more committed in the values and family domains. Younger participants explore less in the gender role domain compared to older ones. Significant interactions reveal that (a) younger women explored the least, and (b) men from alternative families are the least committed in the values domain, compared to all other groups. Findings support the value of exploring the relative impact of family-focused experience on the processes of identity formation and, for the current convenience sample, suggest that growing up in an alternative family structure does not necessarily have a negative impact on identity.

Emerging Adulthood in North America Identity Status and Perceptions of Adulthood Among College Students in Canada and the United States

This study examined perceptions of adulthood and associations with identity status development among college students in Canada and the United States. Participants were 678 college students (278 Canadian and 400 from the United States) between 18 and 25 years of age who completed the Alternate Model for Transition to Adulthood and the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status. Students in Canada and the United States differed in their views on the characteristics of adulthood (for three of the five markers of adulthood). As expected, identity status scores in the personal domains were associated with students’ perceptions of adulthood. Differences were seen in the moderation of country on the linkages of foreclosure and achievement with role transitions and norm compliance, respectively. Identity theory and macro-environmental factors are considered in the interpretation of results.

Preliminary validation of the North American Protestant Fundamentalism Scale

The literature on Protestant fundamentalism is characterised by instruments that are unidimensional, largely assessing Christian orthodoxy, and use inconsistent conceptual definitions. The present study presents an effort to develop and test an instrument using Ammerman’s definition of North American Protestant fundamentalism as a multidimensional construct that includes four components: inerrancy of scripture, evangelism, premillenialism, and separatism. This model was confirmed statistically, and clear evidence of reliability and both convergent and divergent validity is presented. Relationships with other variables, while clearly showing overlap in anticipated directions, also show enough non-shared variance to justify continuing to view fundamentalism as a separate construct.

Personality, Identity Styles, and Fundamentalism During Emerging Adulthood

ABSTRACT This study examined the associations among personality, identity style, and fundamentalism. The initial sample included 808 students from 2 state universities (in the upper Midwest and Southeast United States). Of those students, 440 students self-identified as Protestant and were included. Testing mediation effects of identity styles on the relationship between personality and fundamentalism revealed only moderate direct effects between personality and fundamentalism, but 4 distinct patterns of indirect effects supporting the process-oriented model proposed by Duriez and colleagues. Results are discussed in terms of similarities and differences with other studies, with implications for future research outlined.