Fischer's Skill Theory Applied to Identity Development: A Response to Kroger

Abstract

This article is a reply to Kroger's proposal (this issue) that the identity statuses can be understood as a developmental hierarchy of stages. In our view, research indicates that the content, strength, and structure (or quality) of commitments evidence a huge variety of patterns and developmental pathways. Accordingly, we argue the following: first, that the identity status paradigm is not well suited as a description for developmental stages in identity development because it does not sufficiently address qualitative differences in commitments and because its statuses do not order themselves in an invariant sequence; and, second, that structural stage models are not the best way to describe identity development because they do not grasp the rich variety of possible identity developmental pathways. Fischer's (1980) skill theory appears more adequate to describe identity development. Application of the principles of this theory to identity development results in an approach that describes identity development as a dynamic system in which the stability and change in commitments result from continuous and mutual interactions between personal and contextual factors. This approach allows for the prediction of variety in pathways for development within any particular psychosocial identity stage, and it describes development as determined by both person and context.