Coping with identity conflict: perceptions of self as flexible versus fixed moderate the effect of identity conflict on well-being

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis (Routledge) via the DOI in this record.In four experimental studies we explored the moderating role of perceptions of one’s self as flexible versus fixed on the relationship between identity conflict, well-being, and self-esteem. Across different contexts, it was demonstrated that representations of self as stable versus changeable moderated the effect of conflicting identities on well-being and self-esteem. Specifically, the activation of conflicting identities led to a decrease in well-being and self-esteem among those who construed their self as stable, but not among those who adopted flexible representations of self. This effect was mediated by self-concept clarity. The results suggest that the net effect of multiple identities depends not only on their compatibility and importance, but also on the way in which one’s self-concept is construed