Date of Award

1996

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Art

First Advisor

Marilyn Patterson

Second Advisor

Pamela Nickels

Third Advisor

Jesse B. Harris Jr.

Abstract

This study investigates the psychosocial crisis of later adolescence Berzonsky's ISl2 and Levenson's I. P, and C Scales were correlated. The I, P, and C Scales measure locus of control. The I Scale measures internal locus of control. The P and C Scales describe external locus of control. The P Scale measures a belief that powerful others control event outcomes. The C Scale measures the belief that things happen due to chance or fate. The Identity Style Inventory - Revised (1512) measures an individual's identity style. Identity style 1s the characteristic pattern of behaviors most often used by an individual to problem-solve and make decisions. Identity styles delineate the orientation individuals take toward questions of identity. Three identity styles are theorized to describe four· resolutions to the identity crisis: Information-orientation describes identity-achieved and moratoriums. normative-orientation describes foreclosures. and diffuse-orientation describes diffusions. In addition to the three identity styles the instrument yields a commitment index. The Commitment index measures how firmly committed individuals are to the life choices they have made.

In the present study it was expected that information-orientation would be associated with an internal locus of control while normative and diffuse-orientations would be associated with external locus of control. Results of a Pearson r yielded expected relationships overall. The normative-orientation was not positively correlated with the P Scale as expected, but approached statistical significance ma negative direction. Several possible explanations are offered including inappropriate use of different instruments, identity style overlap in the Commitment index, and anomalies caused by movement from one identity status into another.

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