The long-term impact of teacher-student relationship on identity formation, as perceived retrospectively, was studied narratively using interview and Relational Space Maps (Josselson, 1992). A heterogeneous group of 36 Israeli adults (aged 50–60) was asked about their schooling experiences. Analysis of their narratives from a relational-developmental perspective revealed psychological "fittedness" (Erikson, 1956) as a central relational principle, having a critical impact on students' lifelong identity development, motivation, and achievement. The findings of this qualitative study lend support to Erikson’s model of identity formation. The retrospection of individuals at middle-late adulthood underscores these important long-lasting developmental influences.

回顾性地观察到的师生关系对身份形成的长期影响，是通过访谈和关系空间图（Josselson，1992）进行叙述性研究的。询问了由36名以色列成年人（50至60岁）组成的不同群体的学习经历。从关系发展的角度对他们的叙述进行分析后发现，心理“适合性”（Erikson，1956）是关系的主要关系原理，对学生的终身身份发展，动机和成就产生了至关重要的影响。定性研究的结果为埃里克森的身份形成模型提供了支持。对成年中后期个人的回顾强调了这些重要的长期发展影响。