University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Fall 1997 Relativistic thinking and identity development in college students Rebecca Anne Regeth University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation Regeth, Rebecca Anne, "Relativistic thinking and identity development in college students" (1997). Doctoral Dissertations. 1981. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/1981 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UME films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter free, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMt a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. RELATIVISTIC THINKING AND IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT IN COLLEGE STUDENTS BY REBECCA ANNE REGETH B. A., Western Washington University, 1989 M. S., Western Washington University, 1991 DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology September, 1997 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9807566 UMI Microform 9807566 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This dissertation has been examined and approved. ! a . a Ltjru^. Dissertation Director, Dr. Tony Nevin, Professor Emeritus of Psychology ‘- J f U z X . ^ ___________ Dissertation Director, Dr. Kathleen McCartney, Associate Professor of Psychology -- Dr. Michael Commons, Research Associate and Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School j c _______________________ Dr. Sharon Nodie Oja, Professor of Education (Lu&UictK (AJa/UUft-______________ Dr. Rebecca Warner, Professor of Psychology 7 - 0 - 5 - - f ? Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my family whose emotional support was very important to me throughout my many years of college. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would especially like to thank Dr- Tony Nevin and Dr. Kathleen McCartney for believing in me and this project. I would also like to thank Dr. Rebecca Warner, Dr. Michael Commons, and Dr. Sharon Nodie Oja who gave me helpful comments and suggestions. My independent study students Carrie Landa, Kirsten Fournier, Alyssa Hood, Lisa Giannattasio, Kara Mays, Denis Pelletier, Chris Babcock, and Christopher Lombardo were very helpful. They collated packets, sent out numerous mailings, ran subjects, edited drafts, copied journal articles, and entered huge amounts of data. There willingness to help and enthusiasm were ever present. I appreciate the indirect help of Dr. William Stine who provided me with the opportunity to study what I love. What I learned about statistics from him has guided me through this research and will be extremely important in my future. Daniel Henderson provided me with many opportunities to argue with him about my research and psychology in general. These arguments, although a threat at the time, let me examine the issues from both sides. I appreciate his love and support of my dreams. I owe a great deal of thanks to the students in my child development course, Psychology 401 students, and the English and engineering seniors who participated in this study. I am especially grateful to those students in study 1 who returned the longitudinal study questionnaires. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.............................................iv LIST OF TABLES............................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES............................................ xi ABSTRACT.................................................... x SECTION PAGE INTRODUCTION................................................ I Overview of Postformal Thought......................... 1 Overview of Identity Development........................ 5 I. PERRY'S SCHEME OF EPISTEMOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT..... 9 Simple Dualism (Positions 1-2)................. 10 Complex Dualism (Positions 3-5)................ 10 Relativism (Positions 6-7)...................... 11 Commitment to Relativism (Positions 8-9)........ 11 Development of Relativistic Thinking............ 11 Locus of Control and Relativistic Thinking...... 12 Implications of Relativistic Thinking........... 13 The Important Shift from Dualism to Relativism... 13 Relativistic thinking and Identity.............. 14 II. ADOLESCENT IDENTITY FORMATION.................... 16 Marcia's Theory of Identity Formation........... 17 Development of Identity......................... 19 Variables related to identity development....... 20 Implications of Identity Development............ 21 III. GENDER DIFFERENCES IN RELATIVISTIC THINKING AND IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT?..................... 22 IV. THE ROLE OF INTIMACY IN IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT..... 24 V. AIMS OF THE PRESENT STUDY....................... 28 Hypotheses..................................... 29 VI. STUDY 1A: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IDENTITY, EPISTEMOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT, AND LOCUS OF CONTROL.........................................33 Method..........................................33 Results.........................................35 Discussion......................................66 VII. STUDY IB: LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT OF IDENTITY, EPISTEMOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT, AND LOCUS OF CONTROL.........................................71 Method..........................................71 Results.........................................75 Discussion.....................................103 VIII. STUDY 2: ASSESSMENT OF IDENTITY, EPISTEMOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT, AND LOCUS OF CONTROL IN ENGLISH AND ENGINEERING COLLEGE SENIORS.................... 105 V Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Method.........................................105 Results........................................109 Discussion..................................... 121 IX. STUDY 3: RELATING IDENTITY, INTIMACY, AND EPISTEMOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IN 18 TO 20 YEAR-OLD COLLEGE STUDENTS...................... 123 Method.........................................123 Results........................................ 124 Discussion..................................... 152 X. REVIEW AND SUMMARY............................. 154 Hypotheses.....................................154 Methodological Considerations.................. 165 Suggestions for future research................. 167 XI. CONCLUS ION..................................... 168 LIST OF REFERENCES.........................................171 APPENDICES................................................ 180 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Marcia's conceptualization of identity.......... 7 Table 2. Descriptive statistics of variables measured in study 1A....................................... 37 Table 3. Factor loadings from principle factor analysis of MEOS (relativistic thinking scale) for study LA (N=302)........................................ 38 Table 4. Number of students classified in each identity status (as measured by the EOMEIS-2) by gender for study 1A................................... 42 Table 5. T-test results for gender differences