Poster #81 - The Unique Associations Between Aspects of Identity Centrality and Psychosocial Functioning

• In Event: Poster Session 07

Abstract

Emerging adulthood is a developmental stage in which identity development is a significant task marked by exploration, transitions in relationships and environments, instability, and a sense of “feeling in between” (Murray & Arnett, 2018). Due to significant transitions and unique pressures encountered during emerging adulthood, emerging adults are at a greater risk for mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem (Riggs & Han, 2009). Research has explored several factors that may contribute to adverse mental health outcomes during this developmental phase (Haney & Rollock, 2020), such as identity development (Schechter et al., 2018). Although identity represents a multidimensional construct, the relative centrality across key domains (i.e., individual, relational, public/social, and collective aspects) serves as an important marker for successful identity development (Meca et al., 2015). However, limited studies have explored how identity centrality uniquely contributes to psychosocial functioning.

Addressing this gap, our current study utilized a cross-sectional design, with a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 691 college attending emerging adults (64.8% female; Mage=19.68 years; SD=1.605 years) to investigate the relationship between individual, relational, public/social, and collective identity centrality and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and self-esteem. Results indicated that public/social identity centrality was positively associated with symptoms of anxiety (β= .239, p<.001) and depression (β= .257, p<.001). Conversely, collective identity centrality was negatively associated with symptoms of depression (β= -.123, p<.010). Finally, identity centrality across all domains showed strong associations with self-esteem. Specifically, personal identity (β= .176, p<.001), relationship identity (β=.147, p<.006), and collective identity centrality (β= .120, p<.010) were positively associated with self-esteem. In contrast, public/social identity was negatively associated with self-esteem (β= -.288, p<.000).

As a whole, findings indicated distinct associations between identity centrality across all domains and various dimensions of psychosocial functioning. Surprisingly, public/social identity centrality was the only identity domain associated with all outcomes. This is consistent with Meca et al. (2015) which found that profiles marked by high public/social identity centrality were associated with negative psychosocial functioning. Moreover, personal and relational identity centrality were solely associated with self-esteem. Although both of these domains have been consistently highlighted to play key roles in psychosocial functioning (Schwartz et al., 2015), these findings may indicate that whereas personal and relational identity promotes positive development, a connection to broader collective groups is particularly protective against internalizing symptoms. These findings are congruent with social identity theory (Tajfel and Turner, 1986), which Hogg et al. (2004) describes a collective sense of self built around shared attributes and identification. These group identifications are grounded in attachments to social groups and the significance in which they hold for an individual, suggesting that collective identity centrality plays a critical role in positive development (Hogg et al., 1995). Future research is necessary to further explore the unique effects of identity centrality on adjustment and psychosocial functioning in emerging adult college students.

Authors

• Allison Wright, University of Texas at San Antonio
  Presenting Author

• Bethany Cruz, University of Texas at San Antonio

• Kelsie Allison, Old Dominion University

• Angela Ragsdale

• Hannah Sheikh

• Alan Meca, University of Texas at San Antonio