Social Identity and the Pursuit of Possible Selves: Implications for the Psychological Well-Being of University Students

Implications for psychological adjustment of socialIDentification as a university student were examined with reference to the notion of possible selves (i.e., desired and feared futureIDentities; H. Markus & P. Nurius, 1986 ). Measures of social identification (operationalized in terms of in-group ties, centrality, and in-group affect), self-esteem, psychological well-being, and efficacy beliefs regarding possible selves were completed by 167 undergraduates. A path analysis indicated 2 routes from aspects of social identity to psychological well-being, one mediated by self-esteem and the other mediated by perceptions of group-derived efficacy (i.e., the belief that group membership will facilitate the attainment of desired outcomes). The motivational role of social identity with respect to goal-directed behavior is discussed.