Identity Change and the Transition to University: Implications for Cortisol Awakening Response, Psychological Well-being, and Academic Performance

The Social Identity Model of Identity Change (SIMIC) posits that social group memberships protect well-being during transitional periods, such as the transition to university, via two pathways – maintaining previously held social group memberships (social identity continuity) and gaining new social group memberships (social identity gain). Breaking new ground, this study investigates how these processes can influence an important biomarker of stress - cortisol awakening response (CAR). A total of 153 first year undergraduate students (69.3% female) completed measures (group memberships, depression, life satisfaction) at the beginning of the academic year (October, time 1; T1), of which 67 provided a saliva sample for CAR assessment. Seventy-nine students completed the time 2 (February, T2) measures four months later (41 provided saliva). Academic performance was assessed objectively through end-of-academic year university grade data (June, T3). At T1, students who reported greater social identity continuity and gain also reported lower depressive symptoms and greater life satisfaction. Across the academic year, social identity gain was associated with more adaptive post-awakening cortisol concentrations at T2. During the transition to university, new social group memberships were associated with a known biomarker of stress.