Adolescent Attachment and Ego Identity: A Structural Equations Approach to the Continuity of Adaptation

The purpose of this study was to examine the concurrent relation between adolescent attachment to parents and the achievement of ego identity in late adolescence within a lifespan continuity of adaptation frame-work. Also examined were the contribution of parental control to the formation of attachment and the acquisition of ego identity. One-hundred one college freshmen responded to at least two measures (each) of parental attachment, ego identity, and maternal and paternal control. Model testing in a structural equations analysis showed that (a) there was no relation between adolescent attachment and ego identity; (b) adolescents who perceived that their parents were controlling reported weak attachment; and (c) adolescent identity achievement was inhibited by perceptions of high parental control. The first finding was discussed in terms of its implications for a lifespan theory of adolescent attachment and the continuity of adaptation framework. The latter two findings were discussed in terms of the growing literature on family dynamics and identity development. Implications for future research are drawn.

Rapprochement in late adolescent separation-individuation: a structural equations approach

Adolescents' movements toward individuation are believed to be supported by secure attachments to parents. Previous research has found that individuation could be operationalized with indices of connectedness and separateness, but the relationship between these variables has not been fully explored. The present study demonstrated that attachment and differentiation variables were positively related using different and multiple operationalization procedures. Furthermore, a more comprehensive model of adolescent ego development was proposed which included parental control, individuation, and ego identity constructs. Results suggest parental control restricts successful individuation, but that adjustment on individuation indices predicts advanced identity development.

The importance of peer group ("crowd") affiliation in adolescence

Many researchers have speculated about the role peer groups play in adolescent development, but few have examined teenagers' own perspective on the importance of group affiliations. The two studies reported here, involving 1,300 7th to 12th graders in three Midwestern U.S. communities, assessed teenagers' valuation of belonging to a "crowd" as well as the reasons they cited to support or oppose crowd affiliation. The importance of crowd affiliation declined across age. Younger adolescents generally favored membership, emphasizing the crowd's ability to provide emotional or instrumental support, foster friendships and facilitate social interaction. Older respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the conformity demands of crowds and felt their established friendship networks obviated the need for peer group ties. The importance of crowd affiliation was not related to the strength of respondents' sense of identity but did vary significantly with their willingness to conform to peers and the centrality of their position in peer groups or the type of crowd to which they belonged. Findings emphasized that adolescent peer groups can serve multiple functions, whose salience shifts with age.