Identity exploration and commitment in late adolescence: Correlates of perfectionism and mediating mechanisms on the pathway to well-being.

Associations between perfectionism and dimensions of identity formation were examined in three samples of late adolescents. The role of identity as a mediator in the relationship between perfectionism and well-being was ascertained on the third sample. Two types of perfectionism (maladaptive perfectionism and personal standards perfectionism) and five dimensions of identity formation (commitment making, identification with commitment, exploration in breadth, exploration in depth, and ruminative exploration) were distinguished. Path analysis across the three samples (total N = 895) showed that personal standards perfectionism was consistently positively related to the commitment dimensions, exploration in breadth, and exploration in depth. Maladaptive perfectionism was consistently negatively related to the commitment dimensions and positively to a ruminative type of exploration. Identification with commitment and ruminative exploration proved to be partial mediators in associations between the two perfectionism dimensions and adolescent well-being (depressive symptoms and academic adjustment at university). Practical implications and suggestions for future research are provided