AGE-DIFFERENCES IN AND CORRELATES OF IDENTITY STATUS FROM COLLEGE THROUGH MIDDLE ADULTHOOD

Adults ranging from 20 to 42 years of age were compared on the Extende d Objective Measure of Identity Statuses, a questionnaire measure of i dentity statuses in the domains of ideological and interpersonal devel opment. As hypothesized, compared to current college students, men and women over 30 years of age showed patterns of more mature identity de velopment in both domains with the exception of foreclosure scores in the interpersonal domain that remained stable. Relationships between l ife commitments: and identity statuses were analyzed separately for ad ults in their 30s compared to those in their 40s, revealing complex in teractions with gender and normative cohort expectations. As hypothesi zed, relationships between identity statuses and adult commitments wer e more generally observed for the younger adult cohort, for whom indiv idual differences in psychosocial development rather than age-related expectations might be expected to serve as determinants of early life choices.