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Self-Determination and Personal Identity in University Students: The Mediating Role of Future Orientation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2018

Mingming Zhou  and
Chester Chun Seng Kam
Mingming Zhou*
Affiliation:
University of Macau (China).
Chester Chun Seng Kam
Affiliation:
University of Macau (China).
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Mingming Zhou. University of Macau. Faculty of Education. Taipa, Macau, China. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

In this study, we sought to extend the research on self-determination, future orientation, and personal identity construction by integrating the theories on self-determination and future orientation to provide a conceptual framework for understanding the relations between personal identity and the following individual characteristics: Hope, optimism, awareness of self, and perceived choice. 191 university students in China responded surveys in hardcopies on an individual basis. Our SEM results revealed that proximal future orientation influenced the mechanisms through which distal psychological traits affected identity construction. Specifically, hope mediated the effects of self-awareness on the participants’ personal identity ratings (b = .45, p < .05). Although optimism was related to both awareness of self and perceived choice, it was not significantly related to personal identity. This study suggested an extended framework through which we could understand how the interaction between future orientation and self-determination can predict personal identity. The findings have significant implications for interventions in educational settings.

Keywords

future orientationhopeoptimismpersonal identityself-determination
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 21 , 2018 , E14
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2018 

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Footnotes

How to cite this article:

Zhou, M., & Kam, C. C. S. (2018). Self-determination and personal identity in university students: The mediating role of future orientation. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 21. e14. Doi:10.1017/sjp.2018.17

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