Developing independence in a life transition: Investing the self in the concerns of the day.

Abstract

Developing independence consists of mastering the tasks presented in each life transition. Those more anxious about developing independence will become more invested in the domain where they feel most at risk, and this feeling of risk will center on the most personally meaningful normative tasks of each transition. Anxiety about developing independence is examined in two different samples of students as they make the transition from home and high school to college life. One sample, a group of Honors College students (N = 147), was particularly invested in their academic performance and those anxious about making this transition (the absorbed students) were especially invested in this domain. The second sample consisted of a group of women living in a campus sorority (N = 57), who were particularly invested in developing a sense of security and belonging. Those anxious about making this transition were especially invested in this task. In both samples, anxiety in the relevant life domain was seen in a variety of data: The absorbed students framed relevant life tasks in more personally meaningful terms; in an experience-sampling study, they spent more time in relevant activities and developing social networks that reflect this extra investment in developing independence, and finally, they experienced more stress and lower levels of satisfaction in those domains they felt were particularly relevant to developing independence. The Honors College students were followed up as they made the transition out of college. At this time, they had, as a sample, become particularly invested in developing social relationships rather than achievement concerns, and in this transition the absorbed students refocused their energies toward the social domain to an even greater extent than their peers. This changed investment was evidenced in changes in their appraisals of important life tasks and their descriptions of their self-concept ideals. In both studies, the meaning of anxiety these students felt could only be predicted and understood in terms of the goals they were working on, which in turn can only be understood in terms of the particular social and developmental context in which they were operating.