Year of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

Experimental Psychology

Department or School/College

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Rachel L. Severson

Commitee Members

Bryan Cochran, Anisa Goforth, Adrea Lawrence, Allen Szalda-Petree

Keywords

college, emerging adulthood, identity development, political identity

Abstract

Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period, especially for identity– the development of our sense of who we are internally and relative to others. This research sought to investigate one understudied aspect of identity development: political identity. Five questions guided this research: first, is political identity related to broader identity development? Second, does political identity development differ based on political ideology (liberal, moderate, conservative)? Third, do individuals’ self-identified political turning point events differ based on political ideology? Fourth, how is political identity development related to political turning point narratives? Fifth, how does meaning making interact with political identity development and political ideology? Participants (18-25 years; N = 174) from the Montana University System completed an online survey composed of the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale, political ideology assessment, political Dimensions of Identity Development Scale, political turning point narrative, a well-being measure (WHO-5), and a demographic questionnaire. This study sought to fill the gap in political identity development literature by refining our understanding of identity development, particularly political identity development, in emerging adulthood for college-going adults. First, the data revealed small but notable differences between political ideology and political turning points, specifically that liberals are more likely to have political turning points in the political arena and that conservatives and moderates are more likely to have a political turning point in an educational context. Second, liberals and conservatives were more strongly committed to their political identities than moderates. Third, although the development of political identity and general identity were strongly related, political identity development appeared to occur on an accelerated timeline relative to general identity development. Finally, political identification with commitment predicted positive meaning making. Specifically, those with stronger political identification with commitment were less likely to have positive meaning making in their political turning point narratives. The results provide insights into when and how political turning points occur as well as the developmental processes of political exploration and commitment based on political ideology. Importantly, this study revealed that although some differences emerged based on political ideology, there is much more that unites us than divides us.

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