Age differences in adolescent identity exploration and commitment in urban and rural environments

Abstract

Sociocultural context may play an important role in identity development by shaping the opportunities adolescents are facing. To examine this, adolescents living in urban and rural environments were compared in terms of age differences in identity exploration and commitment. Younger (13–14-year-olds) and older (16–17-year-olds) males and females from urban and rural areas in both Australia ( n=367) and Finland ( n=316) were investigated. The participants completed the Exploration and Commitment Questionnaire which includes items concerning future education, occupation and family. The results showed that the older youths living in Australian urban environments showed higher levels of exploration and commitment concerning both their future education and occupation than the younger ones, whereas there was an age-related decrease in these variables among adolescents living in Australian rural areas. No urban vs. rural differences were found for Finnish adolescents.