The relation between ego-identity status and sex-role attitude, work-role salience, atypicality of major, and self-esteem in college women

This study was designed to ascertain whether the relations among sex-role attitude, work-role salience, atypicality of college major, and self-esteem would combine to differentiate ego-identity status in college women. One hundred forty-seven juniors and seniors were categorized into the statuses of Achievement, Moratorium, Diffusion, and Foreclosure on the basis of their responses to an identity status incomplete sentences blank and characteristic differences were sought between the statuses on Sex-Role Attitude, Work-Role Salience, Atypicality of Major, and Self-Esteem. One discriminant function was found to discriminate among the statuses. Supplementary analysis suggested that women in the Diffusion status were enrolled in less typical majors, were more work-role salient, while those in the Foreclosure status were in more typical majors, were less work-role salient, and were more traditional in sex-role attitude than those in the other statuses.