Social identity formation in higher education students and its relationship with attachment patterns

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the social identity formation status (achievement, moratorium, foreclosure, and diffusion) and identify the relationship between identity formation and attachment patterns (secure, anxiety, and avoidant). The second aim is to detect differences according to the demographic background of the higher education students (the education year and birth order). The study sample consisted of 203 students enrolled in the Balqa'a applied university in Jordan. Two scales were used to achieve purposes of study the psychological identity status scale and attachment patterns scale. The study outcomes asserted that there is a statistically significant difference in the foreclosure identity status among the first-year and fourth-year students in favor of the first year. Likewise, there are statistically significant differences in the diffusion identity status among the first-year, third-year, and fourth-year students in favor of the first-year students. And there are statistically significant differences in the achievement identity status due to the interaction of the education year and birth order. Moreover, the study results indicated a positive proportional and statistically significant relationship between secure attachment and achievement identity. There is a statistically significant relationship between anxiety attachment and the three formation status of social identity (achievement, foreclosure, and diffusion). And there are statistically significant relationships between avoidant attachment and all formation status of social identity (achievement, foreclosure, and diffusion). These relationships are negative to achievement and moratorium identities and positive to foreclosure and diffusion identities.