A cross-cultural understanding of identity formation in Japanese adolescents

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24530823
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: SUGIMURA Kazumi 広島大学, 教育学研究科(研究院), 教授 (20249288)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NIWA Tomomi 四天王寺大学, 教育学部, 講師 (50625936) ; MIZOKAMI Shinichi 京都大学, 高等教育研究開発推進センター, 教授 (00283656)
• Research Collaborator: ELISABETTA Crocetti ユトレヒト大学, 研究員 ; HATANO Kai 大阪府立大学, 高等教育開発センター, 特認助教 ; TAKAHASHI Aya 愛知学院大学, 政策科学研究所, 研究員 ; SUGIURA Yuko 名古屋大学, 発達科学研究科 ; JINNO Maasa 名古屋大学, 発達科学研究科
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: アイデンティティ / 青年期 / 文化 / 相互独立性 / 相互協調性 / 精神的健康

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study aimed at unraveling the feature of identity formation in Japanese adolescents and emerging adults. For this purpose, we compared and contrasted the scores of identity processes and other relevant indices in Japanese adolescents and emerging adults (18-30 years old) with those in European, Middle Eastern, and Asian counterparts.
The results indicated that (1) while Japanese adolescents and emerging adults had developmental needs to express one’s own uniqueness, they were also directed to form a sense of identity emphasizing the maintenance of harmonious relationships with others; (2) the patterns of relationships among identity, self-construction, and well-being were found to be similar between university students and young workers in Japan; and (3) Japanese adolescents and emerging adults, as well as Taiwanese and Chinese counterparts, were characterized by identity instability, compared with European adolescents and emerging adults.

Free Research Field

発達心理学