FAMILY FUNCTIONING AS A PREDICTOR OF IDENTITY FORMATION IN LATE ADOLESCENCE

At the end of an individual’s adolescent period, the individual will invariably experience an identity crisis. The family has an important role to play in keeping track of the adolescent’s identity formation. This study aims to analyze family functioning as a predictor of late adolescence identity formation. Theories used in this research are the McMaster Model of Family Functioning (MMFF) Theory and Erikson's Identity Theory. Six dimensions under MMFF are problem-solving, communication, family role, effective response, affective involvement, and behavior control (Epstein, Bishop, & Levin, 1978). This study also aims to find the MMFF's dimensions that contribute to predicting identity issues among late adolescents. In doing so, we used the general functioning scale of the Family Assessment Device (FAD) for the measurement of MMFF. The measurement of identity formation in late adolescence uses the identity scale of the Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory (EPSI). The participants in this study are 496 individuals in late adolescence, ranging from the ages of 18–22 years. In this study, the hypothesis testing uses simple and multiple regressions. The results show that family functioning can predict 18.3% of late adolescents' identity (R =.429, p < 0.001). This implies that family is important in the formation of a late adolescent’s identity. There are three dimensions that contribute to predicting late adolescents' identity, which include behavior control, affective responsiveness, and communication dimension.