Psychosocial Development

Marcia’s Ego Identity Statuses

Grounding his research in Erikson’s stage theory for psychosocial identity development, psychologist James Marcia (1966, 1975, 1980) introduced identity statuses to explain how young adults experience and resolve crises (Patton, Renn, Guido, & Quaye, 2016). There are two essential variables in identity formation: exploration (crisis) and commitment, which occur in the contexts of political, religious, and occupational decision-making (Marcia, 1980). Exploration represents when an individual questions values and goals defined by their parents or authority figures and considers alternatives (Marcia, 1980). Commitment indicates when an individual confidently assumes ownership of their choices, values, and goals (Bilsker, Schiedel, & Marcia, 1988). The four identity statuses Marcia (1966, 1980) identified are:

1. Foreclosure (No crisis/commitment): Individuals accept parental values and experience few crises because authorities dictate their path
2. Moratorium (Crisis/no commitment): Individuals question parental values to form their identity; crisis or exploration does not involve commitment
3. Identity Achievement (Crisis/commitment): After an extensive period of crisis/exploration an individual sorts through alternatives and makes strong commitments in setting goals
4. Diffusion (No crisis/no commitment): Individuals either refuse or cannot commit and have yet to experience a significant crisis

Although Marcia’s (1966, 1975, 1980) research has been based primarily on the experiences of White men, I find Marcia’s statuses clear and relatable. With the four statuses in mind, I would place myself between the moratorium status and the identity achievement status, and leaning more toward identity achievement. In recent years I have deeply explored new ways of thinking that are grounded in several critical and poststructuralist theories and paradigms. The Women’s & Gender Studies (WGS) department at UO offered robust, interdisciplinary curricula that offered a new lens to view my academic, personal, and professional lives. Paradigms such as critical race theory, Black feminism, queer theory, and postcolonialism now serve as a foundation for my academic and professional work, and they undoubtedly influence my interpersonal and intrapersonal development. With these new lenses, I am able to explore multiple alternatives and clearly articulate my choices/commitments, which are essential tenets of identity achievement (Marcia, 1994). 

References:

Bilsker, D., Schiedel, D., & Marcia, J. (1988). Sex differences in identity status. Sex roles, 18, 231-236.

Marcia, J. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego-identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 551-558.

Marcia, J. E. (1975). Identity six years after: A follow-up study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 5, 145-160.

Marcia, J. E. (1980). Identity in adolescence. In J. Adelson (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 159-187). New York, NY: Wiley.

Marcia, J. E. (1994). The empirical study of ego-identity. In H. A. Bosma, T.L.G Graafsma, H. D. Grotevant, & D. J. de Levita (Eds.), Identity development: An interdisciplinary approach (pp. 67-80). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Patton, L. D., Renn, K. A., Guido, F. M., & Quaye, S. J. (2016). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.