ABSTRACT

Forming an identity is a critical developmental task that is affected by important people in an individual’s social environment, such as friends and family members. This investigation compared whether autonomy support from different sources (family/peer) given in distinct contexts (personal goals/crises) was associated with identity exploration and commitment in university students over an 8-month academic year. The study used a five-wave prospective longitudinal design with identity measured at baseline and termination. Participants were asked to name two individuals who supported them during personal goal pursuits and two who supported them during times of crisis. Supporters were sorted into convoys of family and peers. Results showed that perceiving autonomy support during crises from both sources was associated with an increase in identity exploration, suggesting that family members and peers may play an important role during crises and in promoting identity exploration. By contrast, only family autonomy support for goals was related to greater identity commitment, suggesting that perceiving autonomy support from family in distinct circumstances may encourage different aspects of identity development. Basic need satisfaction mediated the relation between family autonomy support for goals and identity commitment and between family (but not peer) autonomy support during crises and identity exploration.

摘要

形成身份是一项关键的发展任务，受个人社会环境中重要人物的影响，例如朋友和家人。这项调查比较了在不同背景下（个人目标/危机）提供的不同来源（家庭/同伴）的自主支持是否与大学生在 8 个月的学年中的身份探索和承诺相关。该研究使用五波前瞻性纵向设计，在基线和终止时测量同一性。参与者被要求说出在个人目标追求中支持他们的两个人和在危机时期支持他们的两个人的名字。支持者被分类成家庭和同龄人的车队。结果表明，在危机期间从两个来源获得自主支持与身份探索的增加有关，这表明家庭成员和同伴可能在危机期间和促进身份探索方面发挥重要作用。相比之下，只有家庭对目标的自主支持与更大的身份承诺有关，这表明在不同情况下从家庭获得自主支持可能会鼓励身份发展的不同方面。基本需求满足介导了家庭对目标的自主支持与身份承诺之间的关系，以及危机期间家庭（但不是同伴）自主支持与身份探索之间的关系。只有家庭对目标的自主支持与更大的认同承诺有关，这表明在不同情况下从家庭获得自主支持可能会鼓励认同发展的不同方面。基本需求满足介导了家庭对目标的自主支持与身份承诺之间的关系，以及危机期间家庭（但不是同伴）自主支持与身份探索之间的关系。只有家庭对目标的自主支持与更大的认同承诺有关，这表明在不同情况下从家庭获得自主支持可能会鼓励认同发展的不同方面。基本需求满足介导了家庭对目标的自主支持与身份承诺之间的关系，以及危机期间家庭（但不是同伴）自主支持与身份探索之间的关系。