Gender differences in the self‐defining activities and identity experiences of adolescents and emerging adults

Abstract

Activity participation provides a unique context for adolescents and emerging adults to explore interests, talents, and skills and for identity work to occur. Research has found consistent gender differences in the types of activities in which males and females participate. The current study drew on Eudaimonistic identity theory to examine the subjective identity‐related experiences of personal expressiveness, flow experiences, and goal‐directed behaviour [Waterman, 1984; Waterman, 2004. Finding someone to be: Studies on the role of intrinsic motivation in identity formation. Identity, 4, 209–228] within a special type of activity, self‐defining activities, or those activities that participants identify as being important to who they are as a person. This study also tested for gender and country differences in a sample of 572 adolescents and emerging adults from the United States, Italy, and Chile. Findings indicate gender and country differences in the types of self‐defining activities for males and females, but no gender differences in the reported identity‐related experiences within those activities. This finding held across the three countries. Results from Multivariate Analyses of Variance also indicate that identity‐related experiences differ significantly across seven broad activity classes. Findings are discussed in the context of the growing literature on adolescent activity involvement and time use, gender, and their relations to identity exploration.

Optimal Experience and Personal Growth: Flow and the Consolidation of Place Identity

“…EIT (Waterman, 1984, 1990a, 1992, 1993a, 2004) proposes that an individual starts to recognize elements of his/her own true self—including goals, values, interests, talents, and abilities (Erikson, 1968, 1980)—through participation in self-defining activities (Waterman, 2004, 2005; Coatsworth et al, 2005, 2006; Schwartz and Waterman, 2006; Sharp et al, 2007). EIT is grounded in both Aristotle’s eudaimonia [Greek: ɛύδαιμονία (eudaimonía)] and Erikson’s theories of identity (Erikson, 1968).…”

Self-expressiveness in shopping

“…This flow experience in shopping activities may facilitate consumer's selfawareness and leads them to believe that the shopping activity is important in defining who they are (cf. Csikszentmihalyi, 1990;Sharp et al, 2007). Thus, flow experience in shopping is likely to heighten self-expressiveness in shopping because the flow experience may facilitate the perception that shopping is an enjoyable self-defining activity (cf.…”

An Investigation of Multiple Pathways of Developmental Intervention Change

“…While there appear to be gender differences in the types of activities that males and female adolescents find personally expressive (socializing, instrumental, and literary activities for females and sports/physical activities for males), reported levels of personal expressiveness within those activities have been found to be similar across gender (Sharp, Coatsworth, Darling, Cumsille, & Ranieri, 2007). Research also suggests that there are more similarities in feelings of personal expressiveness across countries and cultures than differences (Coatsworth et al, 2005;Sharp et al, 2007).…”