The Relationship between Identity Status and Risk Taking in Adolescence

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine whether an adolescent’s identity status predict their risk
taking behavior. In addition, another purpose of this study is whether an adolescent’s risk taking behavior differs
in terms of gender. The research group consisted of 315 (165 female, 150 male) university students. To collect
data the EOM-EIS (Extended Version of Objective Measure of Ego Identity ) and the Risk Taking Scale (RTS)
were used. To analyze data Pearson Correlation, Multiple Regression Analysis and t-test were used. According to
results, achievement, foreclosure, moratorium and diffusion identity status together accounted for a significant
proportion of the variance (% 26) of the risk taking behavior. The results of this study also revealed that an
adolescent’s risk taking behavior differentiated by gender.