Research Article - (2013) Volume 3, Issue 1
1Department of Clinical Psychology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Allameh University, Tehran, Iran
The main aim of the study is to review the relationship of self efficacy with identity style. In this case, 462 subjects including 231 girls and 231 mothers were taken up by available sampling method and responded the questionnaires composing of general Schawrtz efficacy scale ( GSES) and Jerusalem and expanded objective my identity base (EOMEIS-II). In this study, in order to analysis the data, a statistical software SPSS, descriptive statistics including middle indices, mean, deviation and Pearson correlation coefficient were applied efficiently. The obtained results showed that there is an inverse turmoil identity style so that any increase in the degree of self efficacy may reduce the formation of unsuccessful identity.
self -efficacy, successful identity style, unsuccessful identity style
The issue of identity is one of the most crucial affairs of the life. Making an independent identity and accessibility to a coherent explanation are the most essential aspects of social and mental growth at adolescence period. In this period, choices, decisions, values, beliefs and purposes are being reviewed and finally the one reaches to a fixed and stable mental and behavioral cohesion. The roots of forming identity originate from the childhood experiences longing to adulthood. In the process of appearing identity, the task of a young person is the combination of the past assimilations and future wishes so that these may bring him or her prospectus feelings from these successes [6]. James Marcia, with the inspiration of Erikson's theory (1968), has given a complete picture of regular growth process in identity steps. He considered the identity as an organizing process of self including the construction of the self, beliefs systems, wishes and comments, skills and personal background [3]. Marcia explained the identity as a result from the crisis and responsibility in the field of job and ideology and based on; he divided the identity status into two groups:
1-achievement and moratorium identity,
2-foreclosure and diffusion identity.
Marcia determined the various bases of identity based on these criteria. Four identity status based on the existence or the lack of identity responsibilities and active discovery including: achievement identity, moratorium identity, foreclosure diffusion identities separable together [9]. His four-sided identity categorization is not necessarily subjects to different steps of one growth chain but they have got any fixed nature and may be faced to changes over the time [3]. The achievement identity is related to having an appeared personality at high psychological value but the diffusion identity is explained as the lack of success in transmitting from adolescence to adulthood with the lowest psychological value [10, 11]. The growth of identity is usually considered as one of the most common growth aspects. The self, is the most essential psychological context in identity growth [8]. The self is possessed to a part of person's personality who he or she aware of it as well. Higins in his theory considered three kinds of SELF in people including: real, ideal and ought-to-self. According to Bandura (1997), of self-idealism elements the self efficacy is the collection of each person's beliefs, expectations in relation to achieve effective tasks. Self efficacy or the feeling of personal ability is a basic structure in Albert Bandura's theory. Self efficacy meaning: personal beliefs about his or her abilities and skills for achieving planned levels and progressive performance and handling effective events in life [4]. These ones who have low self efficacy are mostly disabled and cannot control their life events; they believe that any struggle is abortive; when they face with any catastrophic event they urgently become disappointed. These people never try to strife at their life because they think everything is useless; they say why should work? The low self efficacy makes their motivation destroyed; their wishes and cognitive abilities get down influencing on their physical health. Erikson (1968) in a study presents that those adolescents whose beliefs, obedience and innovation is grew better showed suitable identity cohesion; therefore, the adolescents identity is along with their sensation and thinking; the powerful tendency of young people for making an independent identity comes from their other aspects. So, an independent person can freely participates at family ceremonies and other social events and they feel that they are ready for living better at better situations. Based on the researches, no any study found in relation to the identity style; hence, the main purpose of the study is to review the relationship between self efficacies with identity styles.
The present study is of non-experimental and correlation based research. The statistical community of mothers and girls are belonged to Karaj city with 231 mothers and 231 girls ranging from 18-28; thus, the samples were totally 462 ones who taken up by available method; first the city Karaj was divided into four districts (north, south, east, west) and then 231 ones as sample were selected from the same sample; the entry criteria of girls were defined as following: Age ranging from 18-28 year old, diploma to M.A to be alive the mother living in Karaj and bachelor. Two questionnaires were used in the present study:
Extended objective measure of Ego I 2nd edition (EOM-EIS-II): prepared by Binon and Adams (1989). The test was firstly edited by Marcia and then it was amended again. This questionnaire has 64 questions; for each sub-scales of diffusion, foreclosure and moratorium 16 questions were designed. Rahiminezhad and Almadi (1995) reported the validity of the test by Cronbach alpha (0.59-0.81), diffusion, moratorium and foreclosure in 0.60, 0.73, 0.63, 0.59 respectively and personal level is obtained at 0.60, 0.81, 0.65, 0.68; in the study the validity and reliability of the test was also reported by Cronbach alpha 0.82.
Self -efficacy questionnaire (GSES): The questionnaire is edited by Schwartz and Jerusalem (1995) including 10 articles measuring the people public self efficacy [7]. Each statement is prepared based on self- efficacy concept in Bandura theory (1997). The results of test contextual validity evaluation in Schwartz self efficacy shows the adaptation of test articles with some cognitive elements and increase in self efficacy of Bandura theory such as behavior initiation, continuing effort, resistance against any problems. The correlation of the test with Sherer selfefficacy test and Jerusalem are also come along with together (0.75). The scale of Schwartz self- efficacy has been normed by Karami (2004) and the validity is reported 0.91 through Cronbach alpha coefficient. In this research the self efficacy test is reviewed on the sample with validity 0.81.
In the research spss statistical software was used to evaluate the data; of course descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient were also applied. The related findings of descriptive data in relation to research demographical variables:
As results showed the highest percent 24.2% of subjects in 18-19 year-old and the lowest percent 17% ranging from 22-24, 26-28; about 18.2% is belonged to age group[ 20-22 year-old and 23.8% is subjected to 24-26 year old. The middle age of the subjects are related to 24-26 year old. The mean measured for the subject age is 23.16 year old and its deviation is about 3.12 year old. The lowest observed age is 18 and the highest is referred to 28. The distribution is negative (shorter than normal distribution) representing the subjects at age spread. The distribution is fairly normal due to its deviation. Of 231 subjects, the highest percent (41.6%) had B.A education and the lowest (8.2%) was subjected to M.A; about 31.6% had diploma, 18.6% were A.D.
Also, of 226 mothers who responded to this question; the highest percent (45.6%) had diploma and the lowest (1%) was related to mothers with M.A; about 42% were also under diploma and 5.11% had B.A. in this part the sample status has been shown due to the variable. The statistical indices related to the subjects score have been shown as following:
Table 1. The central indices, distribution, and relative distribution subjected to self -efficacy
It is observed that the obtained mean for the scale is 3.44; because the distribution is negative (crook towards left) due to the high score of the most subjects. The stretched distribution is higher than 1 (higher than normal distribution) representing the low distribution in the scores of the scale.
Table 2. The central indices, distribution and relative distribution subjected to identity styles
The above-mentioned data indicate that the lowest obtained mean is related to foreclosure and then diffusion but the highest mean is subjected to achievement identity. In diffusion identity the crooked distribution is greater than other styles and in achievement style the crooked distribution is towards left. Although the degree of stretching is very low but the distribution is fairly normal in mot sub-scales. The distribution stretching is negative in foreclosure and moratorium styles. (Shorter than normal distribution) but it shows the lowest distribution in achievement identity style.
Table 3. The correlation matrix of relationships between research variables
The above mentioned table is the correlation matrix between research variables. The present numbers in the cells of the table are the Pearson correlation coefficient given between each pair of measured variable in the matrix. As shown in the results the relationship between self- efficacy and achievement identity is directly significant. Any increase in the degree of self -efficacy leads to increase in the formation of achievement identity. The relationship between self- efficacy and diffused identity is reversed and significant; any increase in the degree of self- efficacy leading to the reduction of diffused identity.
The research results showed that the relationship between self efficacy and success identity is direct so that their children will have the same successful identity in future. The relationship between self efficacy and diffused identity is negative representing the reversed effect of these both variables; in other words, the reduction of self efficacy lead to the failure of children at their identity formation, too. According to the findings of Waterman [13] there is a clear relationship between the progressions of the identity with the growth of the self, moral deduction and self- efficacy beliefs; in Bandura's view (1980, quoted of Abdi et al, 2008) the self efficacy beliefs determines that how the men can make motivation or thinking and feeling; along with the study, Scholtz (1983) states in a study that those young who earned their innovation and self efficacy at early steps showed the highest degree of identity cohesion. Luke and Sadlere (2002) presented that the people feel the highest sensations in relation to their success at earning selfefficacy. As Erikson says in his description, having better feeling of identity, beliefs and dynamic organization issues can help someone to get his or her best struggles in identity; these people take the newest approaches at their problems. Therefore it can be concluded that self efficacy has a great impact on the youngsters' identity earning matters. In contrast those young whose identity is at low level would be in different level of living times. Erikson says that (1968) if the young people have the better situation of the personal identity, they would be successful at achieving their issues and better mental interaction in a community. However, if the same process could not work for them better, they got destroyed their mental balance being in a chaos conditions in the society.
