Keywords

Identity, intimacy, culture

Abstract

Several important developmental processes occur in the young adulthood period. Young adults form their identities, determine trajectories regarding careers, and typically they form intimate relationships. Erikson (1963) stated that healthy identity development during adolescence is a necessary precursor to intimacy in romantic relationships during emerging adulthood. Although findings from cross-sectional and short-term longitudinal studies somewhat confirm the proposed link between identity and intimacy development, none of them addresses the role of culture in moderating Erikson‘s tenets of developmental ordering. The primary goal of the present investigation was to determine the role of cultural orientation in identity and intimacy development among emerging adults today. Participants included 422 university students (mean age = 20.80, sd = 3.63) were recruited from one urban university in Delhi, India (n = 96), two urban universities in Beijing, China (n = 180), and one urban university in Orlando, USA (n = 146). Among this sample, 36.7% were males, and 63.3% were females. All participants completed a battery of measures, including a Demographic Questionnaire, the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire, the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, and the Cultural Orientation Scale. Our first hypothesis that identity would predict intimacy in relationships was confirmed. Our second hypothesis that identity development will be a negative predictor for both relationship anxiety and relationship avoidance in romantic relationships was also confirmed. The third hypothesis that females would endorse more collectivistic cultural values compared with males, who will endorse more individualistic cultural values was also confirmed. Finally, our fourth hypothesis that the relationship between identity and intimacy would be moderated by cultural orientation, such that it will be stronger among those that endorse more iv individualistic cultural values compared to those who endorse more collectivistic cultural values was not supported. Results from the multiple regression analysis indicated that although identity and cultural orientation considered alone were significant predictors of intimacy in relationships, the relationship between identity and intimacy were moderated by cultural orientation only for relationship anxiety, such that a strong sense of identity along with a collectivistic cultural orientation predicted less relationship anxiety. Further analyses and implications for professional practice are discussed.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2012

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Berman, Steven

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree Program

Psychology; Clinical Psychology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0004388

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0004388

Language

English

Release Date

August 2012

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences, Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

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