Identity styles and causality orientations: in search of the motivational underpinnings of the identity exploration process |
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Authors: | Michael D. Berzonsky Maarten Vansteenkiste Wim Beyers Luc Goossens |
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Affiliation: | 1. State University of New York at Cortland, Cortland, NY, USA;2. Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;3. Research Assistant at the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO).;4. Ghent University, Gent, Belgium |
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Abstract: | This study examines relationships between constructs based on two perspectives on the development of self‐governance, namely Self‐Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000) and Berzonsky's (1990) identity style model. Theoretically predictable relationships are found between the three causality orientations defined by SDT (autonomous, controlled, and impersonal) and the three identity styles proposed by Berzonsky (informational, normative, diffuse–avoidant) in a sample of Belgian late adolescents. An autonomous causality orientation is positively related to an informational identity style and negatively related to a diffuse–avoidant style. A controlled orientation is positively associated with a normative identity style, and an impersonal orientation is positively related to a diffuse–avoidant identity style. Participants' gender does not moderate these relationships. The findings suggest that the causality orientations late adolescents employ may play an important role in how actively and thoroughly they explore identity‐relevant issues. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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Keywords: | identity development identity styles causality orientations self‐determination |
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