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Varieties of Identity Diffusions and Foreclosures

An Exploration of Subcategories of the Identity Statuses

Alan S. Waterman

Trenton State College

According to Eriksoniani theory, the healthy formnulation of an identity requires a moratorium. Several decades of research reveal, however, that a majority of individuals from adolescence through aduilthood have addressed identity concerns through commitment without exploration of alternatives (foreclosure), or have simply lacked engagementt in identity activiy (diffusiont). In this article, subcategories of these two unsophisticated identity statuses are described. Diffusion is subdivided into precrisis, apathetic, alienated, pathological, marginally involved, and commitment-avoiding types. Subcategories of foreclosure include open, closed, premature, late developing, and appropriated types. Possible relationships between the postulated subcategories and the preadolescenit psychosocial stages discussed by Erikson, as well as the part-conflicts of the identity task are explored. These subcategories have the potential to expand one's untderstantding of the pathways of identity formation and may be useful in the development of educational and countselinig research strategies.

Journal of Adolescent Research, Vol. 5, No. 1, 96-111 (1990)
DOI: 10.1177/074355489051009


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