“It’s a New Chapter Now”: Establishing Commitments in the Romantic Domain during Young Adulthood

Abstract

This longitudinal study examines identity development in the domain of romantic relationships during young adulthood and what the process of establishing commitments without exploration in this domain involves. Identity status in the romantic relationships domain was assessed for 118 Swedish individuals at the ages of 29 and 33, using the Identity Status Interview. Identity diffusion was less common at age 33 than at age 29, whereas foreclosure, moratorium, and identity achievement were equally common at both ages. The majority of those assigned to identity diffusion at age 29 had transitioned to identity foreclosure by age 33. These nine participants were selected as a subsample for further analysis of the process of commitment-making, and changes in their identity narratives between age 29 (before establishing commitments) and age 33 (after establishing commitments) were examined using case-based thematic analysis. The results suggest that the commitment-making process involves changes in identity content, such as having more elaborate and positive views on romantic relationships, as well as changes related to identity processes, including narrating one's experiences and views concerning romantic relationships in a more temporally integrated way.

Profil Status Identitas Remaja: Analisis Kluster Berdasarkan Tiga Dimensi Identitas

“…Marcia (1993) menjelaskan bahwa terdapat sebelas domain yang perlu dieksplorasi selama masa remaja yang terdiri dari domain utama seperti pilihan karier, agama, politik, peran gender, dan derajat ekspresi seksualitas, serta domain tambahan seperti hobi/minat, hubungan dengan teman, hubungan dengan pasangan, peran sebagai pasangan, hubungan dengan orang tua, serta prioritas antara keluarga dan karier. Meskipun umumnya penelitian mengenai pembentukan identitas lebih menekankan pada domain identitas secara keseluruhan, tidak sedikit penelitian yang menekankan pada domain identitas secara spesifik seperti rencana masa depan (Skhirtladze et al, Darmawan Muttaqin | Profil Status Identitas Remaja: Analisis Kluster Berdasarkan Tiga Dimensi Identitas 2020), relasi pertemanan (Vosylis et al, 2018), dan relasi hubungan romantis (Larsson et al, 2020;Pittman et al, 2012;Schubach et al, 2017). Meskipun demikian, Crocetti et al (2008b) mengusulkan untuk berfokus pada domain pendidikan dan relasi dengan teman yang dianggap sebagai domain utama selama masa remaja.…”

Not Letting Go: Self‐Processes as Mediators in the Association between Child Dependence on Parents and Well‐Being and Adult Status in Emerging Adulthood

“…This shift occurs both physically, as the majority of young people (in many cultures) begin venturing into living arrangements outside of the home (i.e., dormitories, apartments with friends or romantic partners, etc. ), and in regard to the amount of independent decision‐making (Larsson, Eriksson, & Frisén, 2020; Seiffge‐Krenke, 2013). In sum, there is much occurring in the family system during emerging adulthood that theoretically and developmentally suggests that the third decade of life is the time to significantly focus on the process of separation and individuation.…”