Relação entre valores, social connectedness e desenvolvimento da identidade em adultos emergentes

Personal values and social connectedness influence the development of identity. Through a quantitative design and a sample of 275 emerging adults, the present study sought to analyze: the relationship between personal collectivist and individualist values, the two cycles of identity development (the formation and evaluation of commitments) and social connectedness; whether personal values may predict the cycles of one’s identity development; and the mediating role of social connectedness in the relationship between personal values and the cycles of identity development. Results showed that social connectedness mediated the relationship between personal values and the cycles of identity development, suggesting that a sense of interpersonal closeness can act as an endorsement mechanism for personal values and that it may contribute to the development of identity. This study has implications for the literature related to the development of identity in emerging adulthood.