Identity development in men and its relation to psychosocial distress and self-concept

The major hypothesis addressed in this research was that the experience of stress is attributable to the quality or clarity of one's identity rather than to age grouping. Two hundred and seventy-five men of three age groups (earlyadulthood, n = 1 00; middle-adulthood, n = 1 00; late-adulthood, n = 75) completed self-report measures of identity (Identity Style Inventory Sixth Grade), distress (Life Distress Inventory), perceived stress of middle age (Mid-life Crisis Scale), and self-concept (global subscale of the Adult Self-Concept Questionnaire). Based on scores on the identity questionnaire, participants were assigned to one of three identity styles (information, normative, diffused/avoidant). Results indicated that middle age is not particularly salient as a period of heightened psychosocial distress. Specifically, young adults had higher levels of distress compared to middle age and older adults, and middle-age adults had more distress than did late adults. Those men with an information or diffused/avoidant identity style had higher levels of distress than those with a normative identity style (irrespective of age grouping), and those with a diffused/avoidant identity style had greater perceived stress of middle age scores than did those with a normative identity style. Additionally, older adults had the lowest levels of selfworth of any age group, whereas middle-age adults had the highest levels of selfworth, and young adults fell in-between. Those with a normative identity style had the highest levels of self-worth, those with a diffused identity style had the lowest self-worth, and those with the information identity style fell in-between. These results are discussed in terms of a lifespan perspective on identity development.