Paths to Adult Identity Resolution – At the Intersection of Agency and Structure: A Differential Study Among Portuguese Emerging Adults

In contemporary Western individualized societies, both positive psychology and identity capital theory have identified a set of psychosocial assets indispensable for the negotiation of opportunities and risks inherent to the process of transition to adulthood. From among the various identity capital resources, this study focuses on agentic capacities, as one of the most valuable due to their motivational power, and school trajectories, as a powerful structural determinant of transition to adulthood trajectories. In order to better understand the anticipation of adult roles, two studies were carried out aiming to (1) observe differences in agentic capacities (measured by their levels of self-efficacy beliefs, expectations of success concerning the performance of adult roles, and exploration of worldviews and adult roles) and adult identity resolution according to the youths’ level of education; (2) assess the predictive power of youths’ agentic capacities in adult identity resolution, examining possible variations according to the level of education. Differences according to level of education were found regarding identity resolution with less educated youths evidencing higher levels of adult identity resolution. As far as the predictive power of agentic capacities over identity resolution is concerned, it was observed that the type and amount of identity capital that is relevant for the acquisition of a sense of adult maturity varies according to educational level of emerging adults.