Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Aug 11;34(1):161-201.
doi: 10.1080/10463283.2022.2104987. eCollection 2023.

Identities: A developmental social-psychological perspective

Elisabetta Crocetti  1 , Flavia Albarello  2 , Wim Meeus  3 , Monica Rubini  1
Affiliations

Identities: A developmental social-psychological perspective

Elisabetta Crocetti et al. Eur Rev Soc Psychol. .

Abstract

In this contribution, we review research that uses a cross-fertilisation approach to integrate developmental and social-psychological perspectives on how identities are formed and changed over time and how identity processes are genuinely social, being embedded in social contexts and fed by social contents. First, we outline the three-factor identity model as a parsimonious approach to understanding the dynamics of identity development. Second, we review empirical studies with longitudinal approaches to shed light on how identity processes are embedded in key contexts such as family, friendships and society at large through behaviours such as civic engagement. Third, we discuss the interplay between personal and social identities. We conclude by highlighting how adopting a cross-fertilisation approach that combines social-psychological and developmental perspective can significantly advance the theoretical understanding of identity dynamics. Finally, we address similarities and differences between personal identity and social identity approaches, and we provide an agenda for future research.

Keywords: Identities; adolescence; family; friendships; longitudinal.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The three-factor model: The dual cycle.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Model linking parents’ and adolescents’ self-concept clarity.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Model linking family relationships and identity commitment.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Model linking family relationships and identity in-depth exploration.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Model linking family relationships and identity reconsideration of commitment.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Model linking identity processes, social responsibility, and volunteer and political engagement.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Model linking identity socio-cognitive strategies and civic engagement.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Model linking self-concept clarity and prosociality.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.
Model linking personal and social identities.
Figure 10.
Figure 10.
Model linking identification with proximal groups, identification with humanity, and social well-being.
Figure 11.
Figure 11.
Model linking multiple categorisation, social dominance orientation, prejudice, and human identification.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adams, G. R., & Marshall, S. K. (1996). A developmental social psychology of identity: Understanding the person-in-context. Journal of Adolescence, 19(5), 429–442. 10.1006/jado.1996.0041 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Albarello, F., & Rubini, M. (2012). Reducing dehumanisation outcomes towards blacks: The role of multiple categorisation and of human identity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 42(7), 875–882.10.1002/ejsp.1902 - DOI
    1. Albarello, F., Crocetti, E., & Rubini, M. (2018). I and us: A longitudinal study on the interplay of personal and social identity in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(4), 689–702.10.1007/s10964-017-0791-4 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Albarello, F., Crisp, R. J., & Rubini, M. (2018). Promoting beliefs in the inalienability of human rights by attributing uniquely human emotions. Journal of Social Psychology, 158(3), 309–321. 10.1080/00224545.2017.1346581 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Albarello, F., Crocetti, E., & Rubini, M. (2020). Prejudice and inclusiveness in adolescence: The role of multiple categorisation and social dominance orientation. Child Development, 91(4), 1183–1202. 10.1111/cdev.13295 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources