Identity formation and relationships with parents in Turkish emerging adults: a multi-informant examination

This study provided an original contribution focusing on the perspectives of both emerging adults and their parents in Turkey (1) to examine if identity formation in emerging adults differs depending on whether they live with or without their parents; (2) whether their perceived relationships with parents predict their identity formation; and (3) whether parents’ perceived relationships with their children predict identity formation. 553 Turkish university students and 1106 parents participated in this cross-sectional study. Living with or without parents did not affect identity formation in emerging adults, based on the results of The Dimensions of Identity Development Scale, Erikson’s Psychosocial Stage Inventory, and Parent-Adult Relationship Survey. Model 1 of the two path models predicted several identity formation characteristics in emerging adults’ interactions with their mothers but fewer with their fathers. In Model 2, mothers’ relationships with their emerging adult children predicted several identity development aspects, while fathers’ predicted a few.