This longitudinal study investigated identity development across early adulthood. To examine both stability and change in identity development, an explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. First, patterns of identity status development across early adulthood were examined, followed by an in-depth qualitative approach to understand more about the processes within identity status stability from the late 20s into the 30s. Analyses revealed group-level changes in identity status across ages 25 (Mage = 24.9, SD = 0.7), 29 (Mage = 29.3, SD = 0.6), and 33 (Mage = 33.3, SD = 0.5) among the 118 participants, with fewer individuals in moratorium and more in identity achievement in later years. Stable identity statuses with established commitments (identity achievement and foreclosure) were by far the most common patterns across early adulthood. To understand how early adults maintain their identity within these stable patterns, we employed longitudinal qualitative analyses of identity status interviews from ages 29 and 33. These analyses revealed 3 processes of identity development: approach to change (willingness to adjust and evolve previously established commitments), story integration (thematic and temporal integration, and metaexploration of previous identity work), and participation in a broader life context (identity expanding beyond personal aspirations). Together, these findings show that there is identity status change toward maturity across early adulthood and high stability within individual patterns. The findings also show that stable identity achievement facilitates further deepening within the three processes of identity development, and that stable foreclosure can be connected to both weakening and deepening in identity development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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成年早期的身份发展。

这项纵向研究调查了成年早期的身份发展。为了检查身份发展的稳定性和变化，采用了解释性混合方法设计。首先，研究了成年早期身份状态发展的模式，然后是深入的定性方法，以更多地了解从 20 年代末到 30 年代身份状态稳定的过程。分析揭示了 118 名参与者中 25 岁（法师 = 24.9，SD = 0.7）、29 岁（法师 = 29.3，SD = 0.6）和 33 岁（法师 = 33.3，SD = 0.5）的群体级别的身份变化，其中在以后的几年中，暂停的人数较少，而身份成就方面的人数较多。具有既定承诺（身份成就和丧失抵押品赎回权）的稳定身份状态是成年早期最常见的模式。为了了解早期成年人如何在这些稳定模式中保持他们的身份，我们对 29 岁和 33 岁的身份地位访谈进行了纵向定性分析。这些分析揭示了身份发展的 3 个过程：改变的方法（调整和演变先前确立的承诺的意愿） ，故事整合（主题和时间整合，以及以前身份工作的元探索），以及参与更广泛的生活背景（身份扩展超越个人愿望）。总之，这些发现表明，成年早期的身份状态会随着成熟而发生变化，并且个体模式内具有高度的稳定性。研究结果还表明，稳定的身份成就有助于进一步深化身份发展的三个过程，稳定的止赎可以与身份发展的削弱和深化有关。（PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2020 APA，保留所有权利）。