A Cross-Cultural Perspective on the Relationships between Emotional Separation, Parental Trust, and Identity in Adolescents

Abstract

Emotional separation and parental trust in parent-adolescent relationships are important factors for adolescent identity formation. However, prior research findings on emotional separation are inconsistent. This study aimed to conduct a more rigorous examination of the associations of emotional separation and parental trust with identity synthesis, confusion, and consolidation by applying a bi-factor model to identity, using adolescent samples from Lithuania (N = 610; 53.9% female; M = 14.92), Italy (N = 411; 57.4% female; M = 15.03), and Japan (N = 759; 43.7% female; M = 14.13). Structural equation modeling revealed that emotional separation and parental trust were consistently associated with identity consolidation across the three countries, rather than associated with identity synthesis and identity confusion. Furthermore, the patterns of associations of emotional separation and parental trust with identity synthesis and identity confusion differed across the three nations. Overall, this study provides a better understanding of the role of emotional separation and parental trust in adolescent identity formation by suggesting the importance of the identity consolidation in the association between parent-child relationships and identity formation across three countries.

Neuronal noise to identity confusion - association between long-range temporal correlations in intrinsic EEG activity and subjective sense of identity

“…These results indicated that the DFAe of the present data reflected the non-random temporal structure of the phase. values are similar to those reported in previous studies 32,33,47,48 .…”

“…This subjective experience of identity consists of two fundamental components: identity synthesis and identity confusion. Identity synthesis is a feeling that one's self is temporally continuous and consistent and one knows where one is headed (e.g., a sense of knowing their purpose and direction), while identity confusion refers to a feeling of one's self as temporally changeable and fragmented, and one is indecisive and unable to keep commitments to important life decisions (e.g., a sense of feeling mixed up) [30][31][32][33] . Identity synthesis and confusion are not polar opposites but exist simultaneously 31 .…”

Association between long-range temporal correlations in intrinsic EEG activity and subjective sense of identity

“…The rank correlation between identity synthesis and confusion was rho = − 0.56 (p < 0.001, 95% CI = − 0.70, − 0.37). The Cronbach's alphas for the present data (N = 68) were 0.80 for synthesis and 0.68 for confusion; these values are similar to those reported in previous studies 32,33,47,48 .…”

“…Identity synthesis is a feeling that one's self is temporally continuous and consistent and one knows where one is headed (e.g., a sense of knowing their purpose and direction), while identity confusion refers to a feeling of one's self as temporally changeable and fragmented, and one is indecisive and unable to keep commitments to important life decisions (e.g., a sense of feeling mixed up) [30][31][32][33] . Identity synthesis and confusion are not polar opposites but exist simultaneously 31 .…”

Development of a System for Improving Future Teachers’ Readiness for the Child’s Spiritual and Moral Development in a Cross-Cultural Space

“…We also based the system on the need to develop a motivational profile in the professional development of teachers (Guzmán, 2019), data of the impact of moral actions on the intensification of moral growth (Yao, 2018), and theories of adult education, which are appropriate for students aged 18-21. We assimilated the ideas of modern scholars about the importance of consolidating identity between parents and children (Sugimura, 2018), significance of parental influence in order to prevent negative behavior (Nqweni et al, 2010).…”