Identity as a Protective Factor: New Study on Spanish Youth Published in Frontiers in Psychology

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Identity as a Protective Factor: New Study on Spanish Youth Published in Frontiers in Psychology

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We are pleased to announce the publication of our latest research article, titled “The importance of the socio-historical context: similarities and differences in identity development and psychological adjustment across two cohorts of Spanish college emerging adults,” in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology.

This study compares two cohorts of university students (2015 and 2020) to analyze how differing generational contexts shape identity development. The findings reveal that youth from the 2020 cohort exhibited significantly lower levels of commitment to their future and higher levels of rumination—or constant self-doubt—compared to their 2015 counterparts. Parallel to this, a decline in well-being and an increase in psychological distress were observed in the 2020 group.

However, the pivotal finding of this research is that in times of heightened uncertainty, identity plays a fundamental role. Possessing clear goals and identifying with them became a much more potent protective factor against emotional distress in the 2020 cohort than in the 2015 cohort.

Regarding gender differences, the relationship between having clear goals and psychological well-being was significantly stronger among men. This suggests that men rely more critically on their identity commitment to maintain emotional equilibrium, potentially due to prevailing social expectations.

📄 Article Reference:

Domínguez-Alarcón P., Sánchez-Queija I. and Parra Á. (2026). The importance of the socio-historical context: similarities and differences in identity development and psychological adjustment across two cohorts of Spanish college emerging adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 17. 1739488. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1739488

The Transition to Adulthood in Spain (TAE) Project relies on the joint institutional collaboration of researchers from the Universidad de Sevilla, the Escuela Universitaria de Osuna (an affiliated center of the Universidad de Sevilla), and the Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea.

Proyect PID2024-155825NB-I00 financed by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE