Identity development from adolescence to adulthood: An extension of theory and a review of research.

Those aspects of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development concerning the formation of a sense of personal identity are examined in light of research evidence. When the Stage 5 component is considered as a bipolar dimension, the expectation is that the transition from adolescence to adulthood involves a progressive strengthening in the sense of identity. When the identity construct is expanded to include the processes by which an identity is formed, it is hypothesized that over time there will be progressive developmental shifts in identity status, that is, from the identity diffusion status into either the foreclosure or moratorium status, from the foreclosure into the moratorium status, and from the moratorium into the identity achievement status. The circumstances associated with progressive shifts, regressive changes, and reentry into an identity crisis are discussed. The review of the literature focuses on questions of the direction and timing of identity development, sex differences in development, and the identification of antecedent conditions relating to the choice of developmental pathways.