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Accommodating a new identity: Possible selves, identity change and well‐being across two life‐transitions
Author(s) -
Manzi Claudia,
Vignoles Vivian L.,
Regalia Camillo
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.669
Subject(s) - identity (music) , transition (genetics) , psychology , restructuring , identity change , identity formation , social psychology , accommodation , developmental psychology , social identity approach , social identity theory , self concept , social group , political science , feeling , chemistry , aesthetics , law , biochemistry , philosophy , neuroscience , gene
We examined the role of desired, feared, and expected possible future identity structures in the restructuring of identity after two life transitions. A longitudinal study was conducted on 86 young adults during the transition from school to university and 143 adults during the transition to parenthood. In both samples, pre‐transition desires and expectations about the restructuring of identity predicted post‐transition actual identity structures. Post‐transition emotional well‐being was higher among those whose post‐transition identity structures more closely matched their initial desires and less closely matched their initial fears, and among those who reported a greater magnitude of identity change. We propose that possible future identity structures play an important role in the identity accommodation process during life‐transitions, and that they have significant implications for well‐being. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.