Ego Identity Status and Self-Monitoring Behavior in Adolescents

Abstract

This research examines the association between identity status and self-monitoring behavior including age and gender differences in these variables in 476 adolescents (15 to 22 years old) in Turkey—a non-Western society characterized by traditional and modernist cultural elements. Identity was assessed with the Extended Version of the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status, and self-monitoring was measured by the Self-Monitoring Scale. Identity and self-monitoring were significantly associated for ideological identity with identity-achieved students lowest and diffusion students highest in self-monitoring. There were no associations for interpersonal or general identity status. Consistent with research in North America, there were significant increases in identity achievement and moratorium with age and no gender differences in identity status. Males were significantly higher than females in self-monitoring, but there were no age differences. These findings are discussed in relation to the influences on identity formation in Turkey.