Development of Adolescent Identity and Autonomy during Transitional Periods: Putting the Individual Back into Development

A key developmental task in adolescence is the development of identity. A clear identity enables individuals to function adequately in interaction with others and within the broader context of society. Adolescents who experience difficulties in identity tend to experience relational and academic problems. The development of identity coincides with development of autonomy in close relationships, or the extent to which adolescents act upon personally endorsed values and interests. It is exactly the process of developing an identity and autonomy while at the same time maintaining relatedness to parents and friends that is a challenging developmental task for adolescents.

Adolescents’ interactions with significant others such as parents and friends are thought to be crucial for identity development. In these interactions, adolescents receive self-relevant feedback that supports their psychosocial development. When parents are unable to release control and adapt towards a more reciprocal relationship, and when friends have difficulties accepting each other’s individuation, adolescents are likely to develop a less optimal identity, characterized by internal conflict and feelings of alienation from one’s sense of self.

The INTRANSITION project examined how development of identity and autonomy affect each other during the transition from elementary to secondary education and the transition from secondary to tertiary education. The project examined intra-individual (or within-person, as opposed to inter-individual or between-person) processes of change in identity and autonomy at different time scales: moment-to-moment behaviour during interactions with parents and friends, relational experiences across hours and days, and long-term development. The project improves our understanding of developmental processes of identity and autonomy during transitional periods, thereby allowing to better understand how these changes take place within individuals.
This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 773023).