Identity Exploration Processes Research Articles

The pride framework: a sociocultural–developmental approach for understanding LGBTQ+ adolescents’ body image and disordered eating

ABSTRACT This theoretical review paper offers a sociocultural–developmental framework for understanding LGBTQ+ adolescents’ body image concerns and disordered eating risk. The Pride Framework integrates well-established sociocultural theories and extant empirical research, drawing from objectification theory, the tripartite influence model, minority stress theory, and intersectionality theory. The Pride Framework situates sociocultural appearance pressures within the adolescent developmental context, wherein biological, cognitive, and social transitions exacerbate the likelihood of body image disturbances and eating pathology. Various processes are then posited to link these sociocultural–developmental pressures to body image concerns and disordered eating. Crucially, this framework underscores that LGBTQ+ status itself does not pose a risk for body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. Instead, it is the experience of residing in a society that stigmatizes LGBTQ+ identities that increases youth’s vulnerabilities. LGBTQ+ health researchers and practitioners are encouraged to engage in collaborative efforts with the aim of fostering acceptance for LGBTQ+ youth. This, in turn, could support normative adolescent identity exploration processes within sociocultural settings that are both affirming and inclusive, potentially mitigating adverse health consequences associated with body image disturbances.

Identity development in multicultural context: Multidimensional self exploration approaches employed by Modern Orthodox women

The aim of this study is to examine identity development of Modern Orthodox women as they pursue their studies within a multicultural and multi-faith environment. Content analysis was used to analyze the final papers of undergraduate religious female students in Israel (N = 47) who participated in a semester-long dialogue course for Jewish students. The findings revealed three salient themes, suggesting that women's self-exploration developed noticeably within a rich multicultural context: (a) participants engaged in self-reflection by drawing comparisons between themselves and Arab students, leading to an exploration of their religious beliefs and group affiliations; (b) participants embraced their individuality within a multicultural context while balancing their religious duties; and (c) participants critically examined the status of Orthodox women in society, particularly within the family context. These findings highlight the process of identity exploration among Modern Orthodox women, complicated by intersections of religion, gender, and culture. In doing so, this study contributes to the understanding of identity development in multicultural societies.

Reflections on Identity Exploration in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic from Queer Students of Color

Abstract: The context of the COVID-19 global pandemic has shaped all aspects of modern life, creating a unique circumstance for minoritized groups as they have explored important questions related to the self. Specifically, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers have expressed interest in understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic affected minoritized groups, including queer people and queer people of color, specifically. This study used data from a longitudinal constructivist grounded theory project following queer students of color within and beyond their time in college to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the process of identity exploration for these individuals. Findings revealed that queer students of color engaged in self-reflection about identities because of the isolation, reexamined navigating relationships at home and within educational institutions, and sought connections and guidance through online spaces. Informed by the study findings, the manuscript provides implications for future research and practice in higher education and student affairs.

Possible future selves in STEM: an epistemic network analysis of identity exploration in minoritized students and alumni

BackgroundSTEM minority participation programs have been widely implemented in higher education with the goal of diversifying the global STEM workforce. Informed by research highlighting the potential of targeted exploration of STEM roles and reflection on the self in relation to STEM (identity exploration), this work examines how engagement in a government funded STEM minority participation program shaped these processes in current students and program alumni.ResultsEpistemic network analysis (ENA) was used to visualize conceptual connections between identity themes that emerged from interviews with present and past program participants. Network models were developed for current students and alumni for cross-group comparisons. Differences were found in how participants at different stages of their careers enact and describe their identity exploration processes. Summative network models highlighted how students discussed action-taking (sometimes through participation in STEM minority program initiatives) as they explored less-certain possible future STEM roles, while alumni integrated more diverse and holistic facets of their identities when conceptualizing their futures. To close the interpretive loop, a qualitative interpretation of interview discourse was used to give context to network patterns.ConclusionsResults highlight the differences between novices’ and professionals’ conceptualizations of their future selves and illustrate how minoritized individuals describe their long-term patterns of identity exploration related to STEM majors and careers. Implications for future STEM identity research and practice, including higher education programming as a tool to support students’ STEM identity exploration processes, are discussed.

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE PROCESS OF IDENTITY EXPLORATION AND THE EMERGENCE OF EATING DISORDERS IN STUDENT LIFE

As the physical and psychological well-being has become a cultural and public health focus in Western countries, the impact of social networking sites has been highlighted, especially for the young who are in the process of identity formation. For them, the rapidly evolving social media world is increasing in importance as the main arena for socializing, experimentation, exploration and communication. Studies connect the exposure of adolescents and young adults to social media with body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders (ED), mainly bulimia, anorexia and binge eating. Especially the media cultivating beauty ideals are predictors of the development of eating pathology. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between social media platforms and eating disorders in students and whether their use influences the process of identity formation. With a sample of 158 students from the University of Patras, the measuring instruments used in the study were a structured questionnaire to investigate the effect of social media on eating disorders and the process of identity exploration and the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE) questionnaire to investigate the episodes of binge eating, predisposition to bulimia nervosa and the cognitive and behavioral manifestations of bulimia.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0888/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Transgender College Students' Identity Exploration Processes

College student educators have long been interested in the ways gender affects and mediates one's higher education experience. While some theories explore gender identity development for trans students, a broader conceptualization is needed. To generate such an explanation, I used constructivist grounded theory methods to analyze a two-year study of trans college students. Using these methods, I generated a theory of transgender identity exploration to conceptualize how participants self-determined their identities and the aspects of their lives that promoted or hindered this process. This identity exploration theory will enable practitioners to better structure campus environments and programs for transgender college students.

Metacognitive Beliefs, Emerging Adulthood Identity, and Mediating Role of Mental Health: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Background: The mental health of young people is highly influenced by the identity exploration processes, social origin of identity, and information processing styles. Objectives: The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of metacognitive beliefs on dimensions of emerging adulthood (EA) identity mediated by mental health in university students. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive correlational study, the statistical population included all male and female, 18-25-year-old university students of the public universities of Tehran in 2020-21. The study sample consisted of 178 students selected through convenience sampling. The research instruments included Arnett's Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA), Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), and Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: Metacognitive beliefs was directly associated with mental health (β=0.61, P=0.001) and instability/negativity (β=0.24, P=0.010). Moreover, mental health had a significant positive association with instability/negativity (β=0.25, P=0.004) and a significant inverse association with possibilities/optimism (β=-0.23, P=0.018). The relationship between metacognitive belief with instability/negativity and possibilities/optimism was partly mediated by mental health. Conclusion: It is necessary to pay special attention to metacognitive beliefs as a factor affecting some EA dimensions such as instability/negativity and possibilities/optimism. Mental health should also be considered as the mediator in the association relationship between metacognitive beliefs and EA dimensions. Based on the results of the present study, it is recommended to hold training workshops on metacognitive strategies to improve their mental health and form identity styles.

Trauma, Love, and Identity Development in Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Persons in the stage of adolescence are eager to know who they are. They are curious about their unique characteristics and identities and how they can start to bring about the self-realization that provides a gateway to adulthood by exploring those characteristics and identities. In this process of self-exploration, adolescents who receive encouragement as they search for an authentic identity, though they sometimes have conflicts with parents and others, are likely to develop a secure ego-identity and a strong sense of independence and self-control. By contrast, adolescents who fail to receive encouragement during the process of identity exploration, for whatever reason, may remain unsure about who they are, and hence feel insecure and confused about themselves as well as their future. The present study uses the fictional character Harry Potter to explore these issues in greater depth, mainly focusing on his early adolescent years—that is, when he is 11-13 years old. The study demonstrates that Harry Potter can manage to resolve conflicting ideas and thereby lay the foundations for a healthy ego-identity despite difficult circumstances. The study uses Erikson’s and other psychologists’ understanding of the importance of self-exploration in adolescence as an interpretive lens to examine the dynamics of trauma, love, and self-realization in Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. More specifically, it considers how family love (or the lack thereof), mentorship, and friendship in adolescence impact Harry’s mental and physical behaviors and influence the development of his identity.

“Under the Radar”: How is the Jewish–Arab Conflict Reflected in Internal Jewish Dialogue?

This study explores the role of intergroup conflict in the identity exploration process among 83 Jewish participants in a dialogue in a multicultural college in Israel. Thematic analysis has shown that the behavior of most of the participants has been affected by the Jewish–Arab conflict as follows: they centered on internal commonalities among Jewish subgroups; they neither engaged in conflict among Jewish subgroups nor explored their Jewish identities, and they expressed confusion regarding who the out-group was: the Jewish subgroups’ members or the Arab students in the college. These findings expand the knowledge about the identity exploration process in a social context of religious–ethnic conflict and may pose a practical contribution to the field of intergroup dialogues and conflict resolution in divided societies. 
  

The Role of Social Media Emotional Experiences in Identity Construction: Exploring Links between Micro-identity Processes

ABSTRACT Identity can express itself at different time scales: while a whole year can have a major impact on commitment changes, daily identity relevant events pave the way for exploration of how the commitments fit to the self through real time emotional experiences. This study aimed at understanding how micro-identity processes were linked to each other and how daily social media emotional experiences could explain levels of micro-identity processes in two primary identity domains at emerging adulthood: the romantic relationships and the educational domains. Participants were emerging adult students aged from 18 to 24 (N = 35, 85.71% women). The study followed a fifteen-week protocol containing three measurement periods each consisting of seven daily measures. We observed a large heterogeneity in the relations between emotional experiences and micro-identity processes. Specifically, within-individual relations between emotional experiences and the identity exploration processes were mainly positive in the romantic relationships domain, while such a relation was found between the emotional experiences and the commitment process in the domain of education. Linear mixed models showed that different aspects of emotional experiences predicted higher levels of identity exploration in the romantic relationships domain only. Results of this study account for specific roles of social media emotional experiences in the romantic relationships domain and in the educational domain.

The body as cultural home: exploring, embodying, and navigating the complexities of multiple identities

ABSTRACT The increasing number of clients with multicultural backgrounds pose a challenge for a mental health field that has mostly addressed the psychological needs of culturally diverse clients in a monolithic and linear fashion. In addition, the body’s role in identity development and expression has not been fully integrated in either the theory or practice of counselling. This article addresses these gaps by advocating for a somatic psychotherapy process of identity exploration and negotiation of individuals with multiple cultural backgrounds. This process is meant to support not only more congruent hybrid identities, but also transform the vulnerabilities of this population in increased resiliency and strength. A composite case is used to illustrate this clinical approach.

No Place Like Home: The Coming Out Experiences of Gay Men in Student Affairs and Higher Education Preparation Programs

Development occurs over the lifespan, and student affairs educators are not exempt from that life-long process. This article examined the coming out experiences of gay men within student affairs master’s preparation programs. The study was comprised of 11 participants representing seven different higher education/student affairs administration programs. The findings of this study offer the following: first, the study offers insight on the coming out experiences of gay men in graduate preparation programs. Second, the findings showcase the role that student affairs programs, curriculum, and instruction play in the identity exploration process for gay men. Finally, findings from this study offer implications for pedagogical approaches and frameworks within student affairs/higher education administration programs.

Religious Identity Exploration in the Life Stories of Strictly Reformed-Raised Emerging Adults in the Netherlands

Abstract This article presents the findings from a qualitative study on the religious identity exploration processes and experiences of emerging adults who grew up in strictly Reformed contexts in the Netherlands. We discuss three forms of exploration that appeared in our data: asking questions, exploring alternatives and rebelling against things that are disallowed or undesirable in the strictly Reformed tradition. We also discuss patterns that emerged from our analysis of exploration related to participants’ current religious identity commitments and a strictly Reformed upbringing. Finally, we discuss our findings and propose directions for further research and implications for those who guide youth in religious identity development.

Identity exploration for maker educators: constructing meaning in after-school environmental science

Maker-based learning activities offer benefits to both students and educators; however, there exist few research examples that examine how educators enact a process of identity exploration when implementing maker activities in their instruction. The Projective Reflection framework was used to assess three science educators’ identity exploration as they engaged in professional development sessions on maker education. Teacher data was visualized using epistemic network analysis and supplemented with qualitative examinations to understand how teachers engaged in identity exploration over time. Findings illustrated shifts toward more specific and balanced conceptualizations of self as educators gained skill in the intentional examination of roles.

Context, Community, and the Individual: Modeling Identity in a Game Affinity Space

Video games, and the affinity spaces that develop around them, have been lauded as valuable sites for promoting learning as a transformational and intentional process of identity exploration. This research examines how such processes are enacted on a community discussion forum for the space flight simulator game Kerbal Space Program. Public longitudinal data was downloaded from a social network of active forum posters, which was coded for identity exploration constructs as defined by the Projective Reflection theoretical framework. Coding informed the development of two case studies selected to illustrate how identity exploration manifested in two central members of the social network. Findings offer insights into how learning as identity exploration is enacted in game community forums and affinity spaces.

Complicating Identity Exploration: An Intersectional Grounded Theory Centering Queer Students of Color at Historically White Institutions

Using intersectionality as a framework, we examined how queer Students of Color at historically white institutions explored and made meaning of their intersecting identities in college. This research employed constructivist grounded theory to understand how 20 queer Collegians of Color at various HWIs explained the process of identity exploration and meaning making. Findings reveal that overlapping systems of power shaped identity exploration and that students engaged in a cycle of (un)learning in relationship to systemic influences. Stories suggested that by exploring their identities, participants developed meaning-making structures needed to filter out oppressive influences.

A dialogue with the ‘self’: Identity exploration processes in intergroup dialogue for Jewish students in Israel

Abstract Intergroup dialogues can create a safe environment that encourages individuals to engage in self reflection. This article has examined identity exploration processes among undergraduate students who have participated in a dialogue course. Findings have pointed out several factors that have enabled self-exploration in the group and the dialogue course was fulfilling for most students. The participants felt that the dialogue had helped them form a greater understanding of their identities through two levels of discourse: with the ‘self’ and with ‘the other’ - however, findings also indicated a process that appears to disrupt a ‘deep’ and authentic discourse and can be considered as a contestation of identity. The contribution of this research lies in investigating how identities are shaped within a context of intergroup dialogues and in proposing several hypotheses and questions to advance the research in this field.

Travelling Far—Drawing Closer: Journeys That Shape Identity

This article presents findings from a qualitative narrative research study conducted during a journey to Ethiopia undertaken by graduates of an academic program in Israel in 2005. The study focuses on the significance of the journey as a process that helped reconstruct their identity. During the journey, twelve Ethiopian education graduates were interviewed about the experience of returning to their country of origin. Content analysis was applied to the interviews, which were conducted in the research field and in which the participants spoke spontaneously about their identity exploration process. Three content categories of identity—personal, cultural, and professional—were obtained. The findings of the research also indicate that the personal stories gave rise to an additional stratum in the construction of field experience, namely, the comparison, confrontation, and questioning of their belonging as mechanisms whereby the participants shape their identities.

Identity processes and personality traits and types in adolescence: directionality of effects and developmental trajectories.

Personality traits are hypothesized to be among the most important factors contributing to individual differences in identity development. However, longitudinal studies linking Big Five personality traits to contemporary identity models (in which multiple exploration and commitment processes are distinguished) are largely lacking. To gain more insight in the directionality of effect and the developmental interdependence of the Big Five and identity processes as forwarded in multilayered personality models, the present study assessed personality and identity in 1,037 adolescents 4 times over a period of 3 years. First, using cross-lagged path analysis, Big Five traits emerged as consistent predictors of identity exploration processes, whereas only one significant path from identity exploration to the Big Five was found. Second, using latent class growth analysis, 3 Big Five trajectory classes were identified, resembling the distinctions typically made between resilients, overcontrollers, and undercontrollers. These classes were characterized by different initial levels and (to a lesser extent) rates of change in commitment and exploration processes. In sum, important developmental associations linking personality traits to identity processes were uncovered, emphasizing the potential role of personality traits in identity development. Developmental implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The Mediator Role of Need Satisfaction between Subjective Well-Being and Romantic Relationships Quality

Problem Statement: The most important part of identity exploration for emerging adults is love. Establishing healthy intimate relationships support the process of identity exploration. In addition to the positive and negative factors that affect romantic relationships, the concept of quality is also very important in these romantic relationships. According to studies carried out, when the quality of a relationship is positive, their subjective well-beings are also positive. Identity exploration, and also leading a happy life, is also important for emerging adults, which may be supported by means of having a quality of romantic relationship and needs satisfied by it. Purpose of the Study: The objective of this study is to investigate the mediator role of need satisfaction between romantic relationship quality and subjective well-being of emerging adults. To this end, three hypotheses have been developed: a) There is a positive relationship between satisfaction of needs and subjective well-being in emerging adults. b) There is a positive relationship between romantic relationship quality and subjective well-being in emerging adults. c) Need satisfaction plays a statistically significant mediator role in the relationship between subjective well-being and romantic relationships qualities of in emerging adults. Method: The dependent variable of the study is subjective well-being and the independent variables are needed satisfaction and quality of romantic relationships. A structural equation model has been used in order to test