College Student Identity and Emotional
Intelligence
Eugenia V. Purcar
Dr. Don Thompson, Dr. Cindy Miller-Perrin
Division of Natural Science; Pepperdine University
::Results::
Diffusion Mean
Foreclosure Mean
23.0000
Abstract
This research examines the longitudinal relationship
between identity and emotional intelligence
development in undergraduate students. Using
sample data collected from approximately 4000
undergraduate subjects who completed a 400 item
survey during each of four college years, we examine
the relationship between the Objective Measure of Ego
Identity Status (OMEIS) and a number of Emotional
Intelligence indicators, measured longitudinally.
22.0000
22.5000
21.5000
22.0000
21.5000
21.0000
21.0000
.825
Significance
20.5000
.’054
Significance
20.5000
20.0000
20.0000
19.5000
19.0000
19.5000
18.5000
female
male
female
Freshmen
19.0000
male
female
Juniors
male
female
Freshmen
male
Juniors
Moratorium Mean
Achievement Mean
25.0000
31.4000
24.5000
31.2000
24.0000
31.0000
23.5000
30.8000
23.0000
30.6000
.769
Significance
22.5000
.535
Significance
30.4000
30.2000
22.0000
Introduction
The OMEIS is an instrument used to measure ego
identity in an attempt to offer an alternative to a
clinical overview. It assigns scores to four identity
status scales: diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and
achievement. The four status values are driven by
two binary variables: exploration and commitment.
Diffusion as one’s status describes one who has not
explored nor made a commitment on his or her
beliefs, values, roles, ideological alliances.
Foreclosure is the next status, and refers to those
have committed to various ideological beliefs but
have not explored those beyond their own. The
moratorium status applies to individuals who are in
the midst of exploring, but have not yet formed their
combination of ideologies, values, etc. Achievement
deals with those who have investigated belief
alternatives and have adopted their own as a result.
The three categories that comprise emotional
intelligence are: the appraisal and expression of
emotion, the regulation of emotion, and the
utilization of emotions in problem solving. These
three categories refer to both the individual's strength
in applying them to the self as well directing them
towards others and can be both verbal and nonverbal.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the Pepperdine Natural Science Department and Dr. Thompson for their support
throughout this project.
Methods
From 2010 to 2012, 3,824 responses were obtained to
the OMEIS survey. Because we were primarily
interested in longitudinal trends, we specified the data
set to include only students who had taken the survey
both their freshman and junior years. Thus the data is
divided into two sets, freshman, or, “2010” and
juniors, “2012.” This yielded a sample size of 112.
30.0000
21.5000
female
male
female
29.8000
male
29.6000
Freshmen
Juniors
female
male
female
Freshmen
Appraisal Mean
Juniors
.98 Significance
References
Utilization Mean
Regulation Mean
44.0000
male
Adams, Gerald R.The Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status: A Reference
Manual. 1998.
N. S. Schute et al. Development and Validation of a Measure of Emotional
Intelligence, 1997. Personality and Individual Differences. 1998:
167-177.
Miller-Perrin, Thompson. The Development of Vocational Calling, Identity, and
Faith in College Students: A Preliminary Study of the Impact of
Study Abroad. 2012; 13
30.0000
39.0000
.967
Significance
43.0000
38.0000
.535
Significance
29.0000
42.0000
37.0000
41.0000
40.0000
28.0000
36.0000
39.0000
27.0000
35.0000
26.0000
38.0000
34.0000
37.0000
25.0000
36.0000
33.0000
35.0000
32.0000
24.0000
female
male
Freshmen
Total
female
male
Juniors
Total
female
female
male
Freshmen
Total
female
male
Total
male
Freshmen
Total
female
male
Total
Juniors
Juniors
Discussion
Across the identity measures, there exist some noteworthy patterns. The data indicates that diffusion is higher in males than females and
actually increases in both genders over time. In the results given by the foreclosure graph, there was a higher mean score for females which then decreased
junior year, while the male mean score exhibited a reverse trend. In contrast, the moratorium measure revealed the exact opposite: male scores were higher
freshman year, then decreased junior year with the female mean score exceeding the male score freshman year. The achievement score exhibited the same
trend as diffusion, with male scores being consistently higher for each year.
For appraisal and expression, regulation, and utilization the male score was consistently higher across all three measures for every year. While
the first two categories’ charts indicate that the mean decreased between age group, at statistically significant levels, utilization surprisingly increased. This
pattern is observed regardless of gender. (need a “conclusion” box, indicating what conclusions we are to draw from all of this. This might be a place to
insert some correlation or regression results.)