Faith development and identity formation. Videotaped interviews with students in their first year and again as seniors have provided a wealth of qualitative data to supplement what we are learning from the surveys. Much of this work uses James Marcia s concept of ego identity statuses, based on Erikson s theory of identity development. Marcia identifies four identity statuses. Each status represents a particular style of coping with the task of trying to define oneself.
Commitment refers to the selection of goals and beliefs from among alternatives.
They may be characterized by disinterest and detachment. In this state, a young adult has not critically explored goals and beliefs, and does not have commitments. These students may be characterized by borrowed commitments. The student has borrowed his or her goals and beliefs from significant others, such as parents, teachers, pastors or peers. A student who has experienced a crisis but has yet to form commitments is categorized by Marcia as in a moratorium, or as Josselson prefers to call them, searchers.