Parental Identity Processes among Men in Early and Middle Adulthood

Abstract

In the paper we present the analysis of the processes of parental identity among men without children and fathers. In the background of the growing multifactorial influences of modern society and the multitasking of modern man, it is extremely important to identify the processes of personal identity that allow a person to find his or her place in the world. Various transformations of parenting bring actuality to the studies of parental identity processes, which may help in effective performing in parental roles. We studied the specifics of parental identity processes among men. We used descriptive characteristics, Student's t-test, and correlation analysis. The study involved 97 men (60% without children, 40% of fathers) aged 17 to 44 years (M = 26,44; SD = 11,14). We used Caregiving and Breadwinning Identity and Reflected Appraisal Inventory (J. Pleck and colleagues), test of statuses and structure of ego-identity (E. L. Soldatova), Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS) (K. Luyckx and colleagues), Identity Stage Resolution Index (ISRI) (J. E. Cote), the Utrecht scale for studying identity processes-Parent identity (U-MICS-PI) (modification by K. Piotrowski) and test of life-meaningful orientations (D. A. Leontiev). Parental identity in men is formed even before the birth of a child and before interacting with him or her. Parental identity is interrelated with identity processes, such as: commitment making, and all exploration processes. There is a significant relationship between parental identity and processes such as commitment and exploration.