Bringing Identity Content to the Fore: Links to Identity Development Processes
Abstract
In the present study we examined the role of identity content in relation to identity processes in a sample of college-going emerging adults ( n = 255). Participants reported eight narratives each ( n = 2,040 narratives) in response to prompts for specific identity content domains (occupation, values, politics, religion, family, romance, friends, and sex roles), and completed survey measures of identity exploration and commitment. Narratives were coded for content and meaning-making. In general, participants reported the content requested but were less likely to do so in certain domains (e.g., religion) than others (e.g., family). Identity processes varied by content domain, suggesting that identity contents may require different forms of processing. Results reveal the importance of examining identity content for a fuller understanding of identity development.
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Narrative psychology holds that humans make sense of themselves through stories providing meaning, continuity, and coherence.
“Narrative psychology holds that humans make sense of themselves through stories providing meaning, continuity, and coherence [27,28].”
From Encountering Generative AI: Narrative Self-Formation and Technologies of the Self Among Young Adults (2026) · cites this paper as [28]
Autobiographical reasoning, the reflective process connecting past experiences with present self-understanding, is fundamental to narrative self-formation.
“Autobiographical reasoning, the reflective process connecting past experiences with present self-understanding, is fundamental to narrative self-formation.”
From Encountering Generative AI: Narrative Self-Formation and Technologies of the Self Among Young Adults (2026) · cites this paper as [28]
Cites
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Marcia, J. E. (1966) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0023281 · Cited by 5,172 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Researchers have identified domains that they assume are personally salient (Balistreri et al., 1995; Marcia, 1966), but we do not have a good assessment of how salient they actually are.”
BackgroundThe Psychology of Life Stories
McAdams, D. P. (2001) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.5.2.100 · Cited by 2,808 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Email: kate.mclean@wwu.edu Narrative Identity Model The narrative identity model is rooted in McAdams’ (e.g., McAdams, 2001; McAdams & Cox, 2010) interpretation of Erikson’s theory, in combination with personality theories.”
MethodGetting a life: The emergence of the life story in adolescence.
Habermas, T., & Bluck, S. (2000) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.126.5.748 · Cited by 1,743 · cited 1× · see citing works
“At the heart of this theory is the construct of autobiographical reasoning (Habermas & Bluck, 2000; Habermas & Kober, 2015), a process of reflection on past experiences to make sense of the current self.”
BackgroundMcAdams, D. P., & McLean, K. C. (2013) · Current Directions in Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0963721413475622 · Cited by 1,497 · see citing works
Self-citationGuidelines for establishing reliability when coding narrative data
Syed, M., & Nelson, S. C. (2015) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/2167696815587648 · Cited by 801 · see citing works
Self-citationNarrative Identity and Meaning Making Across the Adult Lifespan: An Introduction
Singer, J. A. (2004) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/j.0022-3506.2004.00268.x · Cited by 748 · see citing works
Identity status change during adolescence and young adulthood: a meta-analysis
Kroger, J., Martinussen, M., & Marcia, J. E. (2010) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2009.11.002 · Cited by 690 · see citing works
McAdams, D. P. (2006) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195176933.001.0001 · Cited by 627 · see citing works
Pals, J. L. (2006) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2006.00403.x · Cited by 515 · see citing works
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Dynamics of Identity Development in Adolescence: A Decade in Review
Branje, S., de Moor, E. L., Spitzer, J., & Becht, A. I. (2021) · Journal of Research on Adolescence · doi:10.1111/jora.12678 · Cited by 584 · see citing works
An integrated developmental model for studying identity content in context
Galliher, R. V., McLean, K. C., & Syed, M. (2017) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/dev0000299 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
Self-citationI and us: a longitudinal study on the interplay of personal and social identity in adolescence
Albarello, F., Crocetti, E., & Rubini, M. (2018) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-017-0791-4 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
Becht, A. I., Nelemans, S. A., Branje, S. J. T., Vollebergh, W. A. M., Koot, H. M., & Meeus, W. H. J. (2017) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/dev0000374 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
de Moor, E. L., Van der Graaff, J., van Doeselaar, L., Klimstra, T. A., & Branje, S. (2021) · Journal of Research on Adolescence · doi:10.1111/jora.12605 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Encountering Generative AI: Narrative Self-Formation and Technologies of the Self Among Young Adults
Kvietkute, D., & Ness, I. J. (2026) · Societies · doi:10.3390/soc16010026 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“Psychological research has elaborated this framework, examining how life stories exhibit structural features: themes of agency and communion, redemptive or contamination sequences, degrees of coherence, correlating with well-being [27,28,36].”
Influential
- Authors
- McLean, K. C., Syed, M., & Shucard, H.
- Affiliations
- Western Washington University (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Corresponding author
- McLean, Kate C.
- Venue
- Emerging Adulthood
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2016-06-21
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 356-364
- ISSN
- 2167-6968 (ISSN-L)
- 2167-6984
- OpenAlex
- W2263365540
- Cited by
- 87
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 19.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Emerging Adulthood (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Representations and Identity
- Keywords
- identity content, identity construction, emerging adults, identity exploration, identity commitment, identity narratives, meaning-making, occupation, values, politics, family, romance, gender roles, friends
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