Creating a "town with pity": An identity exploration group for adolescents.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Constructing an identity is considered to be the primary developmental task of adolescence. This identity helps adolescents successfully transition from childhood to adulthood. Theorists have identified two areas in which identity development occurs---ego identity and ethnic identity. Successfully achieving an ego identity or an ethnic identity has been linked to higher self-esteem and general psychological well-being. This study examines the effects of a group intervention on ego identity, ethnic identity, and self-esteem levels of adolescents. Adolescents in tenth- and eleventh-grades (n = 10) received an eight-week psychoeducational group intervention. A comparison group (n = 10) did not receive the intervention. Pre- and post-test measures of ego identity, ethnic identity, and self-esteem were given to all participants, and qualitative data was gathered from participants in the experimental group intervention. Correlations among instruments partially replicated previous findings. Quantitative comparisons did not support the group intervention as having impacted assessment scores, though ethnic identity scores across the entire group went down significantly at post-testing. Some significant differences were found by ethnic minority status on ethnic identity scores and ego identity scores. Qualitative data supported the intervention as having been meaningful for participants and having aided them in identity development topics.