EMERGING ADULTS AND IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

Authors' Names

Kaetlyn Cordingley, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Category

Social Sciences/Humanities

Abstract/Artist Statement

The COVID-19 pandemic severely altered the lives of people across the world. Although the social isolation and disruption wrought by the pandemic have been universal experiences, emerging adults are at a pivotal moment and are potentially uniquely affected. Emerging adulthood is a critical time for identity development and the college setting fosters an environment for identity exploration. Studies show that in emerging adulthood, turning point events (e.g., global or national tragedies, personal challenges, transitions, or any form of upheaval, such as a global pandemic) that are resolved positively are connected more closely with progress in identity formation, and the importance of positive resolution of negative events appears to be unique to emerging adults. This study explored how emerging adults in college (N=231) were processing the COVID-19 pandemic and whether identity was a factor that affected an individual’s perception of the pandemic. The results of the present study support the hypothesis that an emerging adult’s identity does affect their pandemic processing including, as does a person’s political identity and self-reported mental health. The study revealed significant findings related to pandemic processing, and students’ identity, political beliefs, self-reported wellbeing, campus, gender, whether or not the student is a first-generation college student, and graduation year. This study will inform practitioners of education, families, and students themselves about how identity affects reactions to adversity and how turning negative experiences into positive experiences can have long-term benefits on a person’s sense of self well-being beyond emerging adulthood.

Mentor Name

Rachel Severson

Personal Statement

The current study explores identity commitment and exploration as predictors of how students are processing the pandemic through self-reports about positive and negative impacts of the pandemic as well as through narrative responses. Respondents were prompted to write about a positive experience and a negative between March 2020 and March 2021. Responses were coded for redemption or contamination language. This is a timely and important investigation of the nexus of identity formation and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic is ongoing, researchers and higher education practitioners do not know all of the potential consequences and impacts of this pandemic on emerging adults, making it difficult to address the needs of college students during and following the pandemic. Typically, the university experience is a ripe environment for identity development, yet the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the typical student experience. Identity can include the many aspects, including goals, beliefs, and values, that make a person who they are (Luyckx et al., 2008). The identity measures used in this study are drawn from Luyckx and colleagues’ (2008) dual-cycle model which refers to a person’s formation of commitments through broad-reaching exploration related to their identity (first cycle) and the subsequent evaluation of the commitment and deepening exploration of that commitment (second cycle). Additionally, a person’s political identity is considered an important aspect of identity in this research (Conway et al, 2020). But what happens to identity development in times of extreme uncertainty, stress, or unrest? Elder (1974) stated that “crisis situations are a fruitful point at which to study change since they challenge customary interpretations of reality and undermine established routines. The disruption of habitual ways of life produce new stimuli which elicit attention and arouse consciousness of self and others” (p. 10). The global COVID-19 pandemic, “is more than a health crisis; it is an economic crisis, a humanitarian crisis, a security crisis, and a human rights crisis” (United Nations, 2020, “UN Response to COVID-19” section, para. 1). This moment in time provides the unique opportunity to delve into identity development for emerging adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially given the disruption experienced. Given that adversity comes in many different forms and there is little existing research on the effects of pandemics, this study draws upon previous research examining differential effects of previous crises on identity formation and well-being. As a higher education professional, I am interested in the findings of this research and the potentially important implications for basic research on identity development and applications in higher education. This study will also provide important insights into how challenging events can influence individuals’ identity formation and wellbeing and how those in higher education can support students in the midst of and following this global pandemic. References Conway, L. G., III, Woodard, S. R., Zubrod, A., & Chan, L. (2020). Why are Conservatives Less Concerned about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) than Liberals? Comparing Political, Experiential, and Partisan Messaging Explanations. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/fgb84. Elder, G. H. (1974). Children of the Great Depression: Social change in life experience. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Eriksen, K. (2006). The Constructive Developmental Theory of Robert Kegan. The Family Journal, 14(3), 290–298. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480706287799. Luyckx, K. Schwartz, S. J. Berzonsky, M. D. Soenens, B. Vansteenkiste, M. Smits, I. & Goossens, L. (2008). Capturing ruminative exploration: Extending the four–dimensional model of identity formation in late adolescence. Journal of Research in Personality, 42, 58–82. United Nations (2020). UN response to covid-19. Retrieved on December 30, 2020 from https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/UN-response.