Abstract Self-esteem is linked to several positive outcomes. Thus, it is important to improve our understanding of how self-esteem develops and why people exhibit different self-esteem trajectories. Important events pertaining to self-esteem are life transitions, such as starting a career in young adulthood. Drawing on data from nearly 2000 participants in the Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam), we used latent growth curve models to examine the extent to which career entry influences self-esteem trajectories in young adulthood, particularly with respect to success at career entry and social investments in the individual’s career. In line with the notion of mastering developmental tasks, self-esteem decreased prior to career entry but increased thereafter; however, this pattern was observed only among individuals who entered the workforce at an average or late age. For early entrants, self-esteem remained stable. However, successful career entry enhanced the self-esteem trajectories of young and average-aged career entrants; namely, they exhibited greater increases in self-esteem after career entry if they were satisfied with their jobs, if their jobs paid well, and if those jobs were well respected. Social investments in one’s career had no effect on self-esteem trajectories. All of the final analyses controlled for education, job status, and gender. Overall, the results of this research indicate that self-esteem increases alongside (successful) career entry.

Abstract Only few quantitative studies have investigated identity development in older age, partly due to a lack of validated instruments. In this study, we evaluated the psychometric properties of a short (15-item) version of the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS) in a cross-sectional sample of older Swedish adults (N = 3795; 54.6% women, 45.4% men; mean age 67.1 years) before, during, and after transition to retirement. Though the scale had initially been developed for an adolescent population, model fit of the factor structure was acceptable and internal reliabilities of each dimension were high. Latent mean comparisons suggested that the subdimensions differ in stability across groups of participants in different stages of the retirement transition. While commitment was highest in bridge employees, all dimensions but exploration in depth were lowest in participants after retirement. Exploration in depth was the only dimension that was independent of stage in the retirement transition. Depressive symptoms correlated positively with ruminative exploration, but negatively with commitment making and identification with commitment. As such, these dimensions should be considered as possible risk/protective factors regarding mental health adversities in older adults who face disruptive life events. We discuss potential issues regarding the construct and content validity of the DIDS. A modification of the scale or the development of a new instrument based on a recent framework of identity integration could contribute to new and meaningful insights into identity development and its interplay with mental health across the lifespan.

Abstract Research highlights the critical role of physical activity for older adults, who generally understand its importance for health maintenance. However, the influence of interpersonal relationships on physical activity requires further exploration. This study aimed to retrospectively examine older adults’ perceptions of their physical activity across four life stages (i.e., early life, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and older adulthood) and to assess how interpersonal relationships impacted their exercise at each stage. Nineteen older adults (8 men, 11 women) aged 60 and older, who reported engaging in physical activity for at least 30 min one to seven times per week, participated in this study. Data were collected through online surveys and in-depth interviews. Four themes were constructed through Coding Reliability Thematic Analysis: (a) physical activity trajectory over lifespan, (b) family of origin influence on physical activity, (c) chosen relationships as facilitators and barriers to physical activity, and (d) impact of parenting and grandparenting on physical activity. Participants perceived various interpersonal relationships influenced their physical activity through different mechanisms: modeling (e.g., parents), co-participation (e.g., siblings, romantic partners, children, grandchildren, friends), or observing health challenges related to inactivity experienced by close relations (e.g., parents, siblings, extended family) at different points in their lives.

Abstract Developing and revising one’s identity is a lifelong task, one that influences and is influenced by close relationships in the individual’s social context. For emerging adults, different approaches to identity formation have been associated with different ways of relating to their parents; however, little is known about how identity development and views on one’s parents interact beyond the emerging adult years. In the present study, we addressed this gap by examining changes in how established adults describe and relate to internal representations of their parents as they develop from identity foreclosure to identity achievement, an identity status transition that is considered progressive and has been related to shifts in parental representations in younger samples. From a longitudinal study using the Identity Status Interview (Marcia et al., Ego identity: A handbook for psychosocial research, Springer, 1993), we selected participants coded as foreclosed at age 29 and identity achieved at age 33 (N = 18). A case study approach was used to analyze individual changes in parental representations, and a thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes across cases. The findings show that progressive identity development in established adulthood may involve making more reflective comparisons between oneself and one’s parents, describing one’s parents more as whole persons, and relating to parental influence with greater independence and agency. The results highlight the continued importance of parents for adult identity development, and that progressive identity development in established adulthood may involve increased complexity in representations of both oneself and one’s parents.