NCJ Number
218346
Journal
Journal of Adolescence Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2007 Pages: 251-269
Date Published
April 2007
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study examined gender differences in self-defining activities and subjective identity-related experiences within those activities for a group of adolescents and emerging adults.
Abstract
Findings from the study showed that sports/physical activities, performing/fine arts/music, and socializing activities accounted for almost 75 percent of the activities reported as self-defining. These results are comparable to other studies suggesting that adolescents spend most of their leisure time playing sports or hanging out with friends. The results were consistent with research indicating gender influences in the kinds of activities that youth choose to pursue. They also extend the research, in that, they indicate gender differences in the kinds of activities that males and females identify as self-defining. One of the most important findings of this study was that although there were gender differences in the types of activities that adolescents and young adults reported as self-defining, both genders had similar identity-related experiences in those activities. In general, it appears that youth are finding activities that fit well their individual characteristics, and thereby experiencing expressiveness, flow experiences, and goal direction, whether those activities are gender-stereotypical or not. It is recommended that future research is needed to understand how different aspects of activities contribute to the identity formation process for males and females. Drawing on Eudaimonistic identity theory (focusing on self-reported, self-defining activities to provide greater insight into identity-related experiences), this study examined the subjective identity-related experiences of personal expressiveness, flow experiences, and goal-directed behavior in adolescents and emerging adults. Table, references