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Publication

Employment, sense of coherence, and identity formation: Contextual and psychological prcoesses on the pathway to sense of adulthood

Journal Contribution - Journal Article

The present study investigated the influence of contextual (i.e., being in college vs. being employed) and psychological (i.e., sense of coherence) processes on achieving a sense of adulthood in a sample of 317 emerging adults. Identity formation, conceptualized as multiple dimensions of exploration and of commitment, was conceived of as a mediator of these relationships. Individuals who perceive themselves as adults scored higher on commitment and lower on ruminative exploration than those who do not perceive themselves as full-fledged adults. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that the relationships of sense of coherence and attending college versus being employed to sense of adulthood were partially mediated by identity formation-and by the dimension of commitment making in particular. Being employed and scoring high on sense of coherence are directly and indirectly (through making stronger identity commitments) related to a greater sense of adulthood. Implications and suggestions for future research are outlined. © 2008 Sage Publications.
Journal: Journal of Adolescent Research
ISSN: 0743-5584
Issue: 5
Volume: 23
Pages: 566 - 591
Publication year:2008
BOF-keylabel:yes
IOF-keylabel:yes
BOF-publication weight:1
CSS-citation score:2
Authors:International
Authors from:Higher Education