Who Am I?: Identity Statuses among High School Students

Identity is a fundamental psychological concept, and developing one is one of the leading psychosocial tasks of adolescence. Adolescents frequently grapple with the question, "Who am I? "This brings self-consciousness and the capacity to reflect on one's characteristics and behaviors. This descriptive-comparative research examined Marcia's identity status paradigm among 206 randomly selected University of Baguio High School students in relation to sex and grade level. This study aimed to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in the identity status of high school students based on sex and grade level. The study revealed no statistically significant difference in identity status among high school students at the University of Baguio, considering the school sex of the respondents. Moreover, the study showed no statistically significant difference in the identity statuses among high school students at the University of Baguio, considering the grade level of the respondents. In both cases, however, the respondents disagree with having diffused and foreclosed statuses, suggesting that they go through the process of exploration and commitment. The study results show that each individual has a unique identity and may fit into one of James Marcia's four Identity Statuses: Diffusion, Foreclosure, Moratorium, and Achievement. As a result, the current study yielded significant results that may reinforce developmental theory about identity formation among high school students and serve as a knowledge platform for subsequent research.