THE DEVELOPMENT OF IDENTITY - A CRITICAL ANALYSIS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF AS SUBJECT

In this paper an argument is presented, suggesting that the concept of identity articulated by Erikson and reflected in ordinary pretheoreti cal understanding includes, as a central feature, a special experience of self, namely, the experience of a unified psychological ''essence, '' from which superficial characteristics of the person are differenti ated. However, as is shown through a close analysis of various identit y measures, this subjective experiential aspect is typically neglected in identity research, including the many studies that were guided by the identity status paradigm. A new approach is then presented, aimed at recapturing the subjective meaning of identity, by viewing identity as a modality of the self as subject and as characterized by specific experiences of agency, unity, otherness, and individuality. In an eff ort to empirically ground this approach, a typology of identity experi ence, derived from Loevinger's ego development stages, is described. S everal studies are then reviewed, that confirm the viability of this t ypology and illustrate the advantages of studying identity from the pe rspective of the self as subject. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.