Frames of Identity for Young People: A Mind Genomics Exploration

Abstract

This research explored the social frames through which young people form their “selves.” Young respondents (age 17-21) from either Alabama or New York each evaluated unique sets of vignettes, combinations of metaphors, descriptions of people or actions with which they could either identify or not identify. The vignettes were created using experimental design, with each of the 127 respondents evaluating a unique set of 24 such vignettes. Deconstruction of the vignettes into the contribution of the different elements revealed how each element drove the responses of either identification (‘like me/like others’)