Relational Support as a Predictor of Identity Status in an Ethnically Diverse Early Adolescent Sample

Abstract

The role of relational (i.e., parent, peer, teacher) support as a predictor of identity status was assessed using a sample of 635 early adolescents from an ethnically diverse, low-income school district. Identity status was measured using the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status. Multivariate regression analyses suggested that parental support predicted higher foreclosure and lower moratorium in White students, higher achievement in Latino/as, and higher diffusion in African Americans. Peer support predicted higher achievement in Whites and African Americans and higher diffusion in African Americans. Findings suggest that relational support may play a greater role in promoting the formation and maintenance of commitments than in the exploration of alternatives. This study also demonstrates that ethnicity is an important factor in identity status research, as significant effects for the relational (particularly parental) support variables varied between the ethnic groups.