How Does Identity Develop During Adolescence?

Adolescence is the period from the beginning of puberty (13/14 years) to 18 years. Popularly, it is known as a difficult and troubled period, but in reality most individuals go through this stage of their life without complications. However, it is important to keep in mind that identity during adolescence undergoes a series of changes.

The changes lead the adolescent towards one goal: to achieve essential autonomy and independence so that they can immerse themselves in adult life, with its rights and obligations. Now, how does this identity develop during adolescence? James Marcia, through his theory of adolescent identity, has sought to shed light on this process.

Identity theory during adolescence

To explain this process in which the most important features of identity are configured,  James Marcia suggested four identity statuses.  These four statuses would show the status of the individual with respect to their identity and would arise from two circumstances : (a) having or not having gone through an identity crisis, or (b) having or not having adopted vocational, ideological or personal commitments.

What does an identity crisis mean? During adolescence, a person is presented with a multitude of options to build their own identity. When the adolescent realizes these alternatives, it is when he begins to explore his world, his tastes, his intimate relationships, his gender, his friendships, etc. This search, among so many opportunities, is what can lead to what we know as an identity crisis.

What does it mean to make commitments about your identity? After exploring the options that the world offers the adolescent, the adolescent may decide to sift through some aspects (ideas, commitments, values, etc.) and accept others as his own. This acceptance implies a commitment to certain ideological, personal and vocational concepts, which will develop an identity during adolescence and a self-concept that will greatly influence their adult life.

Next I will explain the four statuses that appear after the crossing of these two dimensions: Diffuse Identity, Moratorium, Identity of achievement and Mortgaged Identity.

Fuzzy Identity

It is the first stage of identity development during adolescence. The adolescent is situated in this status when he has not made any commitment or is exploring the alternatives that are presented to him. At this stage the adolescent does not worry about his identity.

We are talking about a state that will sooner or later be broken, since the adolescent will be forced to develop a personal identity: either by the emergence of an identity crisis or the social pressures to compromise that accompany any important commitment.

Moratorium

This is the stage that in normal development usually follows fuzzy identity. The adolescent is in Moratorium when he has suffered an identity crisis, but has not yet developed commitments in any aspect.

Here the individual seeks, explores, tries different alternatives, yes, without ever deciding with certainty for one of them. It is a dangerous stage because, for example, if the adolescent has abused self-esteem, it can lead to the use of addictive substances (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis …).

Achievement identity

Status in which the adolescent has passed the moratorium stage and has decided on certain ideological, vocational and personal commitments. After the identity crisis and exploring their options, the individual has chosen the path they want to follow in order to continue developing as a person.

Which leads him to the construction of his identity and to have an idea of ​​what he is like. After this, the person will feel self-confident that will show a positive adjustment both on a behavioral and personal level.

Mortgaged Identity

But what if the adolescent never suffers an identity crisis? Sometimes you may not explore your options and never experience a moratorium period. Thus, their way of building their identity will be through the advice or guidelines of an adult.

People who are in this state show a better adjustment than those who are in default or diffuse. However, it is no less true that it is a rather unstable state and much more insecure than the Achievement Identity.

Last conclusions

The first thing to keep in mind when understanding this theory of identity development during adolescence is: personal identity is not something unitary and it is not an irrevocable process. In this sense, it is a dynamic in which there will be decisions, but above all tests.

By saying that it is not unitary, we mean that this process can occur at different rates in different aspects of our identity. For example, I may have ironclad commitments that determine my professional identity, but with regard to my political identity, I find myself in a Moratorium period.

In addition, it is important to understand that it is not irrevocable, it is a dynamic round-trip process. This means that after achieving an identity of achievement or a mortgaged identity, a new identity crisis can be suffered, which leads to another identity different from the previous one. For example, someone who started a career in Medicine can reassess their situation and switch to Law.

After looking at the studies and the theory of James Marcia, the final conclusion underscores the importance of the adolescent exploring the world around him and highlights the importance of the way in which he approaches this task.

It is necessary to expand the limits to allow him to explore what is right or wrong, in a way that he does it out of curiosity and head and not as an act of rebellion. Let’s think that it is the only way you have to discover your personal identity. If adults force the adolescent to make arbitrary commitments, he will develop a Mortgaged Identity: an identity that is unstable and that can prevent him from ever reaching his true Identity of achievement.