A process- and status-centered approach to educational identity development in late adolescence: The importance for well-being

Objective
During late adolescence, adolescents' educational identity may be especially salient as they need to make important decisions regarding their education around the transition from secondary school to tertiary education. The way adolescents shape their identity during this period may have important implications for their academic functioning and psychological well-being.

Method
In the present study, we used four half-yearly measurements of educational identity from 208 Dutch adolescents (Mage = 17.8, 73.6% female) to examine identity change in late adolescence. We combined an identity process-centered approach, focusing on identity commitment, exploration, and self-doubt processes, with an identity status-centered approach, focusing on their constellation, and linked individual differences in identity to well-being.

Results
Findings evidenced some developmental change, generally in the direction of a more mature identity (i.e., lower exploration and self-doubt; transitions toward a status characterized by high commitment, average exploration, and low self-doubt), but also much stability. Furthermore, being in an identity status characterized by low engagement in all three processes was associated with poorer psychological well-being.

Conclusions
Our findings emphasize the need to examine identity, especially across identity-salient periods, and highlight important next steps in the pursuit of a better understanding of educational identity in late adolescence.