Understanding The Interaction Of Intrapersonal And Interpersonal Dynamics: A Study Of Identity Development Among Highly Able College Students

Understanding identity development among individuals with gifts and talents (IWGT) can empower its stakeholders to support their journey towards well-being and life success. In an era where educational institutions are struggling to prioritize students’ social-emotional skills, it is imperative to prioritize the psychosocial development and identity achievement of IWGT. With the help of structural equation modeling, the present study aimed to assess how intrapersonal aspects (indicated by hope, purpose, curiosity, and exploration); interpersonal factors (indicated by school environment and family environment); and their interaction influence the identity development of IWGT. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 238 participants in the undergraduate program (18-25 years) at a university known for its high selectivity in admissions, which was used as an indication for giftedness. Among the total number of participants, 70% identified themselves as female, 62% were first-year students, and 67% identified themselves as White. The study found a strong positive relationship between intrapersonal factors and identity development within the hypothesized model. However, there was no significant relationship between interpersonal factors and identity development. This suggests that IWGT may rely more on intrapersonal resources for identity development, emphasizing the significance of understanding their internal dynamics in identity development during emerging adulthood. However, further research across diverse contexts is needed to explore the influence of family and school environments to understand the ideology and relationship domains. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at fostering the intrapersonal aspects (hope, purpose, curiosity, and exploration) may have a positive impact on identity development among IWGT.

Department dc:contributor.department

William & Mary - School of Education

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Mishra, Anyesha

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Cross, Jennifer R.
• Cross, Tracy L.
• Ward, Thomas J.

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.25774/w4-am4b-3660

OAI record oai:identifier

https://scholarworks.wm.edu/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Ascholarworks.wm.edu%3Ainternal%2F9823