The Development of Self-Complexity as Occupational Identity and Its Impact on Well-Being

1. The Development of Self-Complexity as Occupational Identity and Its Impact on Well-Being Oksana Malanchuk Emily Messersmith Stephen C. Peck Jacquelynne S. Eccles University of Michigan

2. Acknowledgements • We thank the following people for their support of this project (listed alphabetically): Elaine Belansky, Todd Bartko, Heather Bouchey, Nick Butler, Celina Chatman, Diane Early, Kari Fraser, Leslie Gutman, Katie Jodl, Ariel Kalil, Linda Kuhn, Sarah Lord, Karen McCarty, Alice Michael, Melanie Overby, Robert Roeser, Sherri Steele, Erika Taylor, Janice Templeton, Cindy Winston, and Carol Wong • Data reported here come from grants to Jacquelynne S. Eccles and Arnold J. Sameroff from the MacArthur Network on Successful Adolescent Development in High Risk Settings (Chair: R. Jessor) and the National Institutes for Child Health and Human Development and to Jacquelynne S. Eccles from the W.T. Grant Foundation.

3. Overview • What does self-structure complexity look like? • How is self-structure complexity related to mental health?

4. Social Psychological Perspective • Individuals are agentic, proactive, and engage in self-regulation of their psychosocial development • Self-concept is complex, dynamic, and motivational • See Bandura, 1999; Markus and Wurf, 1986

5. Complexity of Self-Structure • Number of dimensions that comprise the self-concept (Linville, 1985) • Balance of positive and negative aspects of the self (Oyserman & Markus, 1990) • Organization or integration of multiple dimensions (Donahue, Robins, Roberts, & John, 1993) • Internal clarity and unity (Campbell, et al., 1996)

6. Complexity of Self-Structure • Our definition focuses on • Clarity • Integration

7. Sample • Ongoing longitudinal study: Maryland Adolescent Development In Context • Data collected during 7th grade, 8th grade, 11th grade, 1 year post high school, 3 years post high school • Began with almost 1500 participants; almost 900 remain

8. Demographics

9. Procedure • Face-to-face open-ended interviews in home (Grades 7, 8, 11) • Self-report questionnaire (all Waves) • Included questions about self-beliefs, school environment, family relations, romantic relationships, work

10. Occupational Theme • Most salient occupational goal • Grades 7 & 8 coded into broad categories • Grade 11 and post high school coded into more specific categories based on 1980 Census

11. Occupational Themes – Grade 8

12. Occupational Themes – Grade 11

13. Occupational Themes – 3 years post high school

14. Structure of Occupational Future Self • Participants’ responses coded across interview, within each wave • Desired jobs • Realistic future jobs • Wishes & million dollars • Heroes & role models • Current activities • Possible selves & strategies

15. Vague • This category was only used in 7th and 8th grades • Exhibited no occupational goal • In later waves, this category was broken into Unresolved and No Real Idea

16. Example: No Real Idea • Job desired at 30: Printing manager • Realistic job at 30: “Couldn’t even begin to say” • Obstacles: Death, jail • Current activity: N/A • Role model: N/A

17. Example: Unresolved • Job desired at 30: “I have no clue” • Realistic job at 30: “I have no clue” • Obstacles: None listed • Current activity: Studying hard • Role model: N/A • But… he was very happy to be accepted at and to attend Berkeley

18. Example: Conflicting • Job desired at 30: Computer technician • Realistic job at 30: Computer technician or musician • Obstacles: Lack of motivation • Current activity: Preparing to take a certification test • Wish: Finger strength and speed to be a better guitarist

19. Example: Clarified • Job desired at 30: Famous musician • Realistic job at 30: Famous musician • Obstacles: Broken hands • Current activity: N/A • Role model: A famous songwriter • Wish: Success in music

20. Example: Supported • Job desired at 30: Computer programmer • Realistic job at 30: Computer programmer • Obstacles: Competitive job market • Current activity: Putting effort into current job and college coursework • Role model: N/A

21. Example: Integrated • Job desired at 30: Researcher in biomedical engineering • Realistic job at 30: Family practice doctor • Obstacles: Low grades, low drive, lots of stress • Current activity: Looking for internships, studying hard • Role model: a mentor who is also a doctor

22. Structure of Occupational Future Self

23. Structure of Occupational Future Self

24. Structure of Occupational Future Self

25. Occupational Structure: High Socioeconomic Status

26. Occupational Structure: Mid Socioeconomic Status

27. Occupational Structure: Low Socioeconomic Status

28. Occupational Structure by Continuous Socioeconomic Status

29. Occupational Structure by Continuous Socioeconomic Status

30. Occupational Structure by Continuous Socioeconomic Status

31. Occupational Structure by Continuous Socioeconomic Status

32. Occupational Structure by Continuous Socioeconomic Status

33. Split Occupational Structure by Continuous Socioeconomic Status

34. Summary: Self-structure • Self-Structure • Developmental trend toward complexity (clarity) of self-structure • More pronounced among high SES

35. Summary: SES • SES appears to have some impact in the later years on the organization of the self-structure. • Developmental trend • Unresolved versus no real idea. • Transition period

36. Complexity and Mental Health • Linville’s (1985, 1987) self-complexity model • Self-complexity moderates the adverse impact of stress on depression and illness • Campbell et al.’s (1993; 2003) self-concept clarity • Clarity & internal consistency are positively correlated with self-esteem and negatively correlated with neuroticism, anxiety and depression

37. Occupational Identity and Mental Health • “In general it is primarily the inability to settle on an occupational identity which disturbs young people.” --Erikson, 1959, p.92

38. Mental Health Measures: Anger(range of alphas = .75 to.87) During the last month, including today… • how often have you felt so angry that you wanted to smash or break something? • how often have you felt that you couldn’t control your temper? • how often have you felt so upset that you wanted to hit or hurt someone. 1=almost never 2=once in a while 3=sometimes 4=often 5=almost always

39. Mental Health Measures: Depression (range of alphas=.77 to .80) Please circle the answer that best describes feelings and ideas you have had in the past two weeks. I am sad.. • 1=once in a while 2=many times 3=all the time • I feel like… • 1=nothing will ever work out for me 2=I am not sure if things will work out for me 3=things will work out for me O.K. • I am worthless… • 1=all the time 2=many times 3=once in a while • I feel like… • 1=I have myself 2=I do not like myself 3=I like myself • I feel like crying… • 1=every day 2=many days 3=once in a while • Things bother me… • 1=all the time 2=many times 3=once in a while Items were reverse coded before scaling.

40. Mental Health Measures: Resilience(range of alphas = .68 to .74) How often are you… • very good at figuring out problems nad planning how to solve them? • very good at carrying out the plans you make for solving problems? • good at learning from you mistakes • very good at bouncing back quickly from bad experiences? 1=almost never 2=once in a while 3=sometimes 4=often 5=almost always

41. Mental Health Measures: Self-esteem(range of alphas = .73 to .80) How often… • Do you wish you were different than you are? (R) • Would you like to change lots of things about you if you could? (R) • Are you pretty sure about yourself? 1=almost never 2=once in a while 3=sometimes 4=often 5=almost always

42. 7th Grade Self-Structure Predicts:

43. 11th grade Self-structure predicts:

44. Self-structure at 1 year post-h.s. predicts:

45. Self-structure at 3 years post-h.s. predicts:

46. Research Question Is it SES that’s the underlying cause of these mental health indicators and not the complexity of the self-structure?

47. 7th Grade Outcomes

48. 8th Grade Outcomes

49. 11th Grade Outcomes

50. One Year Post-H.S. Outcomes