James Marcia's Theory on identity development

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James Marcia’s Theory on Identity Development
As youths or adolescents develops into mature adults, they face various events or circumstances that provoke them into questioning, rethinking, and experiment on a range of roles and life plans to find that which suits them best. The influential events or occurrences in life spark the quest for an identity and psychologist James Marcia refers to them as ‘crisis.’ Crisis in life accounts for the period of exploration that an individual undergoes before expressing personal investment in a particular set of beliefs, values, or goals. Thus, identity development requires a period of exploration that culminates in a commitment to a specific course of action that is integral to defining the self. James Marcia theory of identity development elaborates on the statuses forming the process towards developing an ideological or occupational identity. Developing an occupational identity is equally important to an individual as it forms part of who they are and attributes through which they identify themselves. Marcia’s theory consisting of four statuses, identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and identity achievement provides an assessment platform for the development of an occupational identity.
Identity Diffusion
The identity diffusion status is characterized by uncertainties on what occupation an individual would make a lasting personal investment. It is a period of low commitment to a particular occupational identity, and the individual often seems flexible and comfortable to undertake any task to cater for their short-term expenditures. A high school senior or graduate, for instance, may not commit to any particular occupation as they often take up part-time jobs for spending money and often do not know what they want to do for a living. Individuals at this stage also do not explore the available occupations as they tend to focus on the satisfaction of their immediate financial need and not a highly defined occupational identity. It is also possible for an individual a...