Factors Related to the Self-Identification of High School Students in Mazandaran Province, Iran

Considering that a person’s identity in formed during adolescence and that such identity formation is of particular importance in this period and the many factors that play important roles in it, the present study was conducted to determine the factors related with identity formation among high school students in Mazandaran Province, Iran.

This was a descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study. The participants were 394 high school students in Mazandaran Province, Iran selected by random cluster sampling. Data were collected using 3 questionnaires, namely, the Benion and Adams Identity Scale Questionnaire (EOM-EIS-2), the Identification Factors Questionnaire and a Demographic Questionnaire. For data analysis, Wilcoxon, Spearman correlation and linear regression tests were used.

Over half (51.8%) of the participants were girls and 48.2% boys. The results of regression analysis showed that the factors studied (family, personality, school, community and culture and media) could explain 22.7%, 11.2%, 10.5% and 21.2% of the variance in turbulent, early, delayed and advanced self-identification in adolescents, respectively.

Based on the results of this study, it is recommended to organize parenting and student training courses and make the school environment more favorable for the students, as well as include extracurricular activities in the school to help students identify themselves more easily.