Identity Gaps Research Articles

A communication and identity process that mediates parents’ nonaccommodation and sexual minorities’ mental well-being

This study tested sexual minorities’ (SM) surface acting with parents, identity gaps with family, and perceived stress as serial mediators of parents’ nonaccommodation and SM’s mental well-being (i.e., mental health and self-esteem). Participants included 205 sexual minorities who reported on their parents’ unwanted advice about their sexual identity and the degree to which they emphasized divergent values in conversations about LGBTQ+ issues. For both mental health and self-esteem, significant and negative indirect effects emerged for both mother’s and father’s nonaccommodation through a sequence of SM’s surface acting, to personal-enacted identity gap, to perceived stress. These indirect effects, however, were moderated by relational closeness with each parent. Consequently, unwanted advice about children’s SM identities and messages that emphasize divergent values may be harmful even if family relations do not appear overtly contentious or hostile.

Sex Talk: The Effects of Sexual Self-Disclosure and Identity Gaps on Sexual and Relational Outcomes in Diverse Relationships

Sex Talk: The Effects of Sexual Self-Disclosure and Identity Gaps on Sexual and Relational Outcomes in Diverse Relationships

“I Was Literally Just Not Myself”: How Chronic Pain Changes Multiple Frames of Identity

ABSTRACT Though experienced by more than 1 in 5 (50 million) American adults, chronic pain is invisible, subjective, difficult to communicate, and often stigmatized. When faced with a serious injury or ongoing illness, individuals create an “illness identity” by modifying their goals and expectations for the future, adapting to impairments, and understanding new emotional reactions. The current, two-phase study uses the communication theory of identity (CTI) to explore the process of illness identity adoption in the context of chronic pain, which may be different than for more understood, less stigmatized illnesses. A focus group was conducted (N = 6), from which interview protocol were created. Interview participants (N = 23) described specific differences between their pre- and post-pain selves within three identity frames: personal, relational, and enacted. Within each frame, several sub-themes of pain-related identity changes are identified, as well how they were communicated and how they subsequently influenced communication. Additionally, three pain-related identity gaps, or ways in which two identity frames contradict each other, were identified, all created explicitly because of the onset of chronic pain: personal-enacted, personal-relational, and personal-communal. Theoretical contributions include using CTI to outline the illness identity adoption process in the context of chronic pain, identifying unique identity gaps created by this relatively widespread condition. Practically, understanding pain-related identity outcomes can help pain patients make sense of and manage their situation, and de-stigmatize the chronic pain experience.

Challenges of cybercrime investigations

One of the current challenges law enforcement agencies are facing, is ensuring the effective and proactive fight against cybercrime. This category of crime is characterized by its latent nature and detection difficulties that can significantly slow down the prosecution process or even make it impossible for the law enforcement agencies to conduct successful investigations. With the growing of the number of the active internet-users, new interfaces and services are emerging in the online space, which also creates opportunities for the rise of new types of crime. In general, cybersecurity threats are on the rise. The anonymity provided by cyberspace acts as an incentive for offenders, as they are much less likely to be caught as if they were committing a contactbased crime, and the damage caused is much greater if we are speaking about cybercrime affecting assets. Detection difficulties do not depend on the complexity/seriousness of the cybercrime. Simple cyber-enabled crime is just as difficult to uncover as sophisticated cyber-attacks. The main difficulties are related to the use of online identity masking services, technical innovation and gaps in international cooperation among authorities. Possible solutions can offer the use of direct international cooperation, in particular 24/7 (always available) contact networks, the active use of opensource investigations and online profiling, and the regular training of law enforcement personnel. If the specific issue at stake is beyond the knowledge of the intelligence services’ staff, it may be appropriate to involve specialized advisers or experts with specific expertise.

“If You Were a Good Christian…”

This narrative study investigated the perceived experience and navigation of identity gaps in intrafaith Protestant dating relationships. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 self-identified Christians. Guided by the communication theory of identity, the analyses revealed identity-rooted dilemmas that disrupted the ideal Christian relationship trajectory. Under two identity gap motifs, four themes were uncovered: personal identity dissonance via enacted identity, perceived partner identity dissonance, church prescriptions and expectations, and intimacy boundary regulation and synchronization dilemmas. Three communication strategies were identified as attempts to navigate identity gaps: reinforcing faith-based identity awareness, practicing multiple interaction pathways, and tracking and sustaining third-party viewpoints.

Who I Am: Mapping the Reciprocity between Identity Gaps and Interpersonal Relationships in Kartography

This study aims to explore the notion of identity from a post-modernist perspective in the novel,‘Kartography’ by Kamila Shamsie. The concept of identity and its multifarious uptakes in varied fields of study have been revealing to understand the complexity embedded in this notion. The concept of identity and its diverse uptakes in varied study fields reveal the need to know the complexity embedded in this notion. Data of the study were selected from novel passages. Discourse Analysis (DA) and Michael Hecht’s ‘Communication Theory of Identity were used as a theoretical framework for the study.This theory explains the concept of identity from the postmodernist perspective and describes four layers of identity, for instance, personal, relational, enacted, and communal. It examines the personal-relational and personal-enacted identity gaps in the characters of the novel under the study. Findings exhibit that novel characters undergo personal-relational and personal-enacted identity gaps, and these gaps negatively influence their interpersonal relationships. Hence, the inherent fluidity of identity has been demonstrated in novel characters

“I changed, I had to realize that I was wrong”: Identity gap management amidst evolving illness uncertainty

Doubt that a family member’s health issues are real, severe, or even possible entwines some of the most challenging aspects of medical, personal, and social uncertainty. Although several studies have examined doubt, this investigation focuses on how doubt evolves and foregrounds the identity implications of uncertainty. Guided by Communication Theory of Identity (CTI), the purpose of this study was to explore the identity gaps people experience as they navigate evolving doubt about a family member’s health and how they manage those identity gaps. We interviewed 33 individuals in the U.S. about a family member’s health issues that they doubted but began to believe. Our analysis uncovered three identity gaps among personal, relational, and enacted layers of identity: personal-enacted, relational-enacted, and personal-relational-enacted identity gaps. Participants managed identity gaps in two primary ways: (a) closing gaps by altering personal, relational, or enacted layers of their own identity; and (b) maintaining identity gaps by putting the locus of responsibility for identity change within their family member’s relational identities. This study offers theoretical implications for CTI as well as practical implications for individuals navigating doubt and evolving illness uncertainty in their family relationships.

STEM Identities: A Communication Theory of Identity Approach

Education and psychology research has established STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) identities as an important factor in explaining student persistence in STEM fields. Few studies in social psychology of language or communication have investigated STEM identities, despite the fundamentally communicative nature of identity. Identity talk produced in semi-structured interviews with undergraduate engineering majors ( N = 16) at three U.S. universities was analyzed qualitatively using the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) as a sensitizing framework. The analysis showed that these students’ STEM identities emphasized personal attributes such as work ethic and a desire to make a positive difference in the world as well as relationships with peers in engineering. A number of potential identity gaps which might present barriers to forming a STEM identity were also evident in the data. These results underscore the importance of a communicative (interactive and relational) perspective in understanding students’ development and expression of STEM identities.

Fragmenting Feminine-Athletic Identities: Identity Turning Points During Girls’ Transition into High School

This study employed a turning point analysis to document events that influence the development of athletic identities in female athletes transitioning into high school. All participants ( N = 28), between the ages of 14–15 years old, belonged to a competitive club soccer team located in the southwestern United States. Through an analysis of pre- and post-season interviews and bi-weekly video journal entries, data revealed several fragmenting turning point events related to participants’ athletic identity development. These fragmenting turning points paired with the communication theory of identity (CTI) framework highlighted three identity gaps: (a) athletic-relational, (b) athletic-communal, and (c) athletic-enacted. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed regarding turning points in relation to athletic identity development and gender disparities in sport participation.

Toward A Typology of Identity Gaps in "Non-Normative" Sexual Partner Communication.

The present study presents a typology of identity gaps (Hecht, 1993), or cognitive, affective, and behavioral discrepancies between and among different parts of the self, that emerge in sexual partner communication. A total of 504 individuals in relationships they identified as or others ascribed as less common or less accepted than other kinds of relationships, including LGBQ, transgender and non-binary, BDSM, polyamorous, and interracial relationships, described instances in which parts of the self were in tension amid their intimate partner communication. These identity gaps occurred in tension with personal identity, or sense of self, or communal identity as a member of particular sexual and gender minority groups. Implications and areas for future research are discussed.

Exploring the Relational Nature of Identity Gap Management in Sexual Communication

ABSTRACT Framed through the Communication Theory of Identity, the present study investigates strategies individuals in less normative relationships (e.g., LGBTQ relationships, polyamorous, BDSM) (n = 305) use to manage identity gaps that emerge in their sexual communication. A variety of passive and direct strategies occurred to manage identity-laden tensions amid partnered sexual communication. Findings support previous research, which finds individuals engage in self-acceptance, reframing normativity, label changing, passing, disengagement, hyper engagement, and closeted enactment. In addition, the present study introduces partner engagement as a management strategy for identity gaps, further framing identity gaps as a relational phenomenon.

Dissonance, detachment and college student identity: an exploration of identity gaps in the emerging majority student

As emerging majority students learn to adjust to academic life, they frequently confront feelings of inadequacy and face changing identities in relation to their home communities. These students often feel underprepared, experience both isolation and marginalization, and have difficulty navigating academic culture and expectations. Drawing on a qualitative data collected from 49 students using focus groups and open-ended interviews, this article uses the Communication Theory of Identity to examine disassociation and distancing in the form of personal-relational identity gaps that influence the emergence of the self-categorization of a college student identity among emerging majority students.

Identity gaps and negotiations among layers of young farmers: Case study in Indonesia

AbstractOne of the fundamental problems at the source of youthful reluctance to join the agricultural sector is the issue of identity. Unrealistic and negative views toward agriculture, increasing levels of education, and the existence stimulating opportunities in non-agricultural sectors have resulted in a situation that makes youths question previous assumptions about succession farming. This article discusses the identity gaps experienced by six young Indonesian farmers in developing and maintaining coherent identities within the framework of the communication theory of identity. This theoretical framework is used to explore the identity gaps among the identity layers of these young farmers in the situations they face and to understand the way they seek validation for their identity through self-verification. With the explanation approach, this article focuses on a discussion of how young farmers overcome the tensions they experience arising out of conflicts between expectations and reality. These conflicts show that there are identity gaps that must be negotiated by the youths while building their self-identity as farmers.

Mind the Gap: The Relation Between Identity Gaps and Depression Symptoms in Cultural Adaptation.

Personal-enacted identity gaps, defined as the difference between an individual’s self-view and the self that one expresses in communication, affect depression levels of international students living in the United States. Thus, identity gaps are an important construct for understanding the relation between identity and health outcomes. The present research examined the relation between personal-enacted identity gaps formed through communication with Americans and depression, extending previous work by considering the roles of acculturative stress and self-construal and providing one of the first tests of the relation between identity gaps and acculturative stress. A sample of 171 undergraduate and graduate international students studying in the United States was recruited to participate in an online study consisting of self-report questionnaires. Results indicated that as hypothesized, higher levels of personal-enacted identity gaps were associated with depression symptoms and that acculturative stress mediates this relation. However, independent self-construal did not moderate the relation between these variables. Testing additional models revealed multiple ways in which these factors could affect each other. Overall, results suggest that personal-enacted identity gaps, acculturative stress, and depression symptoms are important to consider in tandem in order to understand the emotional experiences of the international students and identify who is at risk for poor mental health. Future longitudinal research is needed to further understand the relations amongst these factors.

“Who’s gonna love a junkie? But he does”: Exploring couples’ identity negotiations and dyadic coping in the context of opioid use disorder

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., and people with OUD may rely on romantic partners to dyadically cope with their illness. Guided by the communication theory of identity, this study examines the identity tensions experienced by couples managing OUD and how identity negotiations contribute to couples’ efforts to dyadically cope with OUD. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 dyads and 6 individuals ( N = 44), all of whom were in relationships in which at least one partner was managing OUD. Analyses revealed that couples managing OUD experience three types of identity gaps: personal–relational, relational–enacted, and relational–communal identity gaps. These gaps coalesced around a central theme of couple identity paradoxes, which demonstrated the opportunities and potential downsides of dyadically coping with OUD. Findings deepen theoretical understanding of identity negotiation in couples and the role of relational identities in managing illness.

Identity Gaps: How and Why a Nation Eludes A State

The concept of “national identity” is one of the most popular constructs linking political theory and policy agents’ requests intended to maintain socio-political order in general, and to legitimize policy in particular. This aspect of legitimacy as explored through the national identity issue engages our attention in this review. The authors explore this aspect as applied to the problem of classical political order, focusing on state capacities and policymaking, accompanied rhetorically by a national identity discourse and based on common values, beliefs, and models of behavior. The review starts from a skepticism towards state capabilities and its claim to monopolize reproduction of a socio-political order which appeals to a volatile idea of a “nation.” This is an obvious case for political philosophy and the social sciences, and also a strong example to illustrate the complexities that states face in the “colonizing” of a public sphere. The complexities are particularly expressed in a growing uncertainty of all statutes of identity-politics agents. The article emphasizes that precisely because of the “colonization” strategy, a “nation” eludes a state that loses its reference points such as “order” or “stability.” The authors conclude that a policy of such a style described above will always be emasculated and fail to provide any kind of social integration.

In a "Scientist Spotlight" Intervention, Diverse Student Identities Matter.

We report on a brief, simple, online course intervention designed to reduce identity gaps and help students see their “possible selves” in working scientists. Students (n = 238) in a large-enrollment, introductory biology course for nonmajors were assigned nine podcasts, distributed throughout the semester. These podcasts each featured a scientist telling a “true, personal story about science,” and we intentionally selected podcasts featuring scientists from diverse backgrounds. We hypothesized that this intervention would serve to broaden student perceptions of science and scientists, and we used a mixed-methods approach to analyze (a) survey data and (b) short written responses about how these podcasts impacted students’ views of the people who do science. Student survey responses confirm that students overwhelmingly found the podcasts valuable, engaging, and relatable, and student impressions varied as a function of student identity (gender, religiosity, sexual orientation, etc.). Further, these podcasts changed student perceptions of the sort of people who do science. This work builds on earlier findings and expands the current work to include a look at how students from a range of different identities—hidden and visible—respond to a simple intervention designed to counter stereotypes about scientists.

Extending the theory of resilience and relational load into polyamorous relationships

This article, framed through the theory of resilience and relational load (TRRL) investigated the effects of relational maintenance behaviors in polyamorous relationships. Specifically, it hypothesized that repeated use of prosocial maintenance behaviors would demonstrate relational investment and act as moderators for the effect of identity gaps, or feelings of discrepancy between aspects of one’s identity, on relational satisfaction and resilience. With a few exceptions, findings largely support the predictions of TRRL. Social networks, advice, positivity, openness, and shared tasks moderate the effects of personal-enacted identity gaps on relational satisfaction. Advice, social networks, and openness moderate the effects of personal-relational identity gaps on resilience. Allowing control, destructive conflict, and jealousy induction moderate the effects of personal-enacted identity gaps on relational satisfaction. Only spying of the negative maintenance behaviors moderates the effects of personal-relational identity gaps on relational satisfaction. For the most part, as predicted, positive relational maintenance behaviors appear to weaken, and antisocial maintenance behaviors strengthen, the negative association between identity gaps and relational satisfaction and resilience. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Communication Accommodation and Identity Gaps as Predictors of Relational Solidarity in Interfaith Family Relationships

Guided by Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) and Communication Theory of Identity (CTI), the purpose of this study was to investigate how families communicatively negotiate religious differences and how that negotiation is related to parent-child relational solidarity. Specifically, we examined the direct effects of (non)accommodative communication on relational solidarity and indirect effects via identity gaps. Using a cross-sectional survey from emerging adult college students (N = 234), we found nonaccommodative communication is indirectly related to lower relational solidarity through increased identity gaps. Accommodative communication is indirectly related to higher relational solidarity through decreased identity gaps. When parents use accommodative strategies, they may help alleviate the mismatch between their child’s personal, enacted, and relational layers of identity, and foster increased relational solidarity.

Student Identification and Communication Instruction: An Examination of Identity Gaps as Predictors of Communication Satisfaction and Teacher Apprehension

Authors observed three identity gaps (personal-relational, personal-enacted, and enacted-relational) as predictors of communication satisfaction and two identity gaps (personal-enacted and enacted-relational) as predictors of teacher apprehension in the context of communication instruction. Findings support communication theory of identity, which posits that identity is multilayered and manifests in communication. The authors argue that communication instructors may help their students increase their communication satisfaction (with instruction) and combat teacher apprehension by reducing identity gaps.