Identity Statuses and Prosocial Behaviors in Young Adulthood: A Brief Report

Little is known about behavioral correlates of Marcia's (1966) identity statuses. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine links between identity statuses in young adulthood and three measures of prosocial behavior: community service, prosocial activities, and prosocial behavioral tendencies. The sample included 91 university students (age range 19–35, M = 21.89, SD = 3.01; 80% European American; 65% female). Scores on identity diffusion were negatively correlated with all three measures of prosocial behavior, whereas identity achievement was positively associated with these prosocial outcomes. In regression analyses, however, only identity achievement scores remained significantly related to the three prosocial behavior measures. Results suggest that identity development is related in important ways to prosocial behavior.