E Saskia Kunnen
Biographic Data
| ID | 643076 |
|---|---|
| NAME | E Saskia Kunnen |
| GIVEN NAMES | E Saskia |
| FAMILY NAME | Kunnen |
| SIGNATURE | KUNNEN E S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Groningen |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7876-0750 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 27 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 24 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 27 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Beyond Words
We studied how personality differences and conversation topics predict interpersonal speech coordination, leading/following dynamics, and nonverbal interactional dominance in dyadic conversations. In a laboratory, 100 undergraduate students (50 same-gender dyads) had a 15-min conversation following three topics (introduction/self-disclosure/argumentation). Their speech coordination and turn-taking (speech/silence) dynamics were assessed through n…
I’m just a dude who is into guys”
Young gay men draw on normative conceptions of “good sexuality” to construct narratives of sexual identity development. Critical frameworks such as hegemonic masculinity highlight the normative constraints shaping sexual identity development, but do not easily account for how these become internalized. By employing a master narrative framework, we were able to trace the processes through which hegemonic masculinities and competing discourses shap…
The interacting partner as the immediate environment
OBJECTIVE: In social interactions, humans tend to naturally synchronize their body movements. We investigated interpersonal synchronization in conversations and examined its relationship with personality differences and post-interaction appraisals. METHOD: In a 15-minute semi-structured conversation, 56 previously-unfamiliar dyads introduced themselves, followed by self-disclosing and argumentative conversations. Their bodily movements were video…
I’m Totally Different”-Developmental Processes Underlying the Recurrent Construction of Identity Content Within Everyday Interactions
Background/Aim: Little is known about how emerging adults explore, negotiate and consolidate the meanings of their identities in peer interactions. This study examined the recurrent construction of identity claims within everyday interactions in the pursuit of local conversational goals. Methods: Six emerging adults were paired in dyads for three video-recorded conversations about ‘dating, romance, and sex’. Transcripts of the interactions were a…
Personality expression in body motion dynamics
We studied body motion dynamics and personality differences using complex systems methods. 105 adults (aged 18–33, 70% women) completed a 15-minute laboratory task covering three self-referencing topics (self-introduction, bodily perception/sensory life, socio-emotional life). Body motion dynamics were extracted from videos using a frame-by-frame differentiation method. Recurrence Quantification Analysis derived the measures of Determinism, Entro…
Turning Points in Professional Commitment Development
We investigated the development of professional commitment over time and its relation to work experiences of novice nurses. We used a longitudinal mixed-method approach based on weekly reported quantitative commitment scores and qualitative descriptions of experiences. Specifically, we examined turning points in commitment trajectories and analyzed qualitative characteristics of the turning point. To determine a turning point, we firstly computed…
The Role of Emotional Experiences in Commitment Development in Internship Students
In this study I address the relation between real-time experiences and vocational identity development in psychology students during their practical internship. By means of a multi-method approach I aimed to shed light on the role of salient emotional experiences in commitment development, and on the characteristics of these experiences. In a diary study internship students reported every week about their most relevant experience. For each studen…
Exploring Exploration
In this short-term longitudinal study, we examine specific examples of identity exploration in real-time interactions among peers. The participants included 12 first-year students majoring in literature, social sciences, and humanities at a national university in Japan (Mage = 18.2; SD = 0.39; 83.3% female). They were divided into four triads that participated in weekly 20-minute discussions for nine successive weeks around three identity domains…
Real-Time Identity Processes
The Relation between Vocational Commitment and Need Fulfillment in Real Time Experiences in Clinical Internships
This study concerns the question how specific characteristics of real-time experiences relate to commitment change. The focus is on the real-time fulfillment of the basic needs: the need for competence, for relatedness and for autonomy. The research question was: “What is the relation between real time need fulfillment and commitment in psychology students during their practical internships?” The participants were 56 master students who did a fiv…
Iterative Micro-Identity Content Analysis
Identity development occurs in the context of real-time interactions. However, existing research on interactions has focused on identity processes and little is known about identity content development within interactions. We define real-time identity as claims about selves, formulated in the service of an interactional “social business.” The aim of this methodological paper is to introduce Iterative Micro-Content Analysis (IMICA) as an approach …
Real-time Identity Processes
A simulation model shows how individual differences affect major life decisions
Individuals are faced with a number of major decisions throughout their lives, including the choice of a suitable education, career, and life partner. Making such major life decisions is challenging, as is evidenced by substantial rates of divorce and drop-out from higher education. Although poor major life decisions can lead to considerable costs for both individuals and society, little is known about how people make these decisions. This is bec…
The Relation between Commitment and a Balanced Time Orientation in Adulthood
We studied the relation between time perspective and commitment formation. These concepts are part of a complex dynamic system, in which individual transitional experiences are relevant. Individual development may proceed along different pathways. Based on theory and research we expected that this relation will firstly differ between individuals, and secondly may change within an individual with increasing age during adulthood. We expected strong…
Moral Conflicts as a Motor of Moral Identity Development at Work
Based on the identity process model, we investigated developmental differences in moral identity between leaders by analyzing their personal experiences of and reactions to actual moral conflicts at work. Using a longitudinal (16-week) qualitative design, we collected weekly moral conflict stories from ten leaders. First, after an inductive exploratory analysis we found that the leaders showed different levels of awareness (descriptive, reflectiv…
Micro-level mechanisms of identity development
Based on Marcia's theory, many researchers consider exploration and commitment as the main processes in identity development. Although some identity theorists have hypothesized that emotional experience may also be an important part of the mechanisms of identity development, empirical research to investigate this claim has been lagging behind. In this study, we shed light on the role of emotional experiences in micro-level commitment dynamics, an…
Young people’s everyday romance and sexual experiences in relation to sex-related conversations with parents
This study builds on existing research into how young people’s emergent sexual development is connected to parent–child sex-related communication through avoidance vs. disclosure. Over the course of one year, a total of 21 young people (age range 12–17.5) reported in longitudinal qualitative diaries their (1) everyday sexual experiences and (2) sex-related conversations with their parents. Using a mixed-methods approach, findings show that less s…
The Role of Time Perspective, Motivation, Attitude, and Preparation in Educational Choice and Study Progress
The present study examined the relation between study progress in the first year of education and different aspects of the process of study choice of 89 students of higher professional education. This study consists of three parts. Firstly, we explored which concepts are important in open interviews concerning choice of study and study progress. Secondly, we examined the relations between future time perspective and motivation on the one hand and…
The Temporal Structure of State Self-Esteem Variability During Parent–Adolescent Interactions
Research regarding the variability of state self-esteem (SSE) commonly focuses on the magnitude of variability. In this article we provide the first empirical test of the temporalstructure of SSE as a real-time process during parent–adolescent interactions. We adopt a qualitative phenomenological approach, whereby moment-to-moment emotional and behavioral indicators of SSE are measured as they emerged during the interactions, resulting in SSE tim…
Identity Development in Deaf Adolescents
We studied identity development during 5 years in seven deaf adolescents who attended a school for deaf children in the highest level of regular secondary education (age between 14 and 18 years), administering identity interviews every year. Identity development is conceptualized as the processes of exploration and commitment formation (Bosma, 1985). We started from the assumption that because deaf adolescents meet more challenges and also-in our…
The Effects of Career Choice Guidance on Identity Development
We investigated the effects of a student career choice guidance on identity development. We compared the levels of identity development before and after the guidance. In addition we compared the identity development of the participants with a norm group of the same age and educational level. Following the guidance we found-as expected-that the participants showed a significant increase in commitment strength in the vocational and personal domains…
Congruency Between Domains in Commitment Development
Most identity theories conceptualize identity as a general concept that refers to the person as a whole. This conceptualization is challenged by the outcome of empirical studies that show extensive incongruence in identity development between different domains. It is hypothesized that to a great extent incongruence is caused by temporal fluctuations and differences in demands and timing in various domains. As a result, greater congruence should b…
Characteristics and Prediction of Identity Conflicts Concerning Career Goals Among First-Year University Students
A panel of 89 first-year university students participated in a longitudinal study concerning their perceptions of their career goals. As predicted, students who experienced a conflict with respect to their career goals increased their exploration activity and decreased the strength of their commitment. In addition, they perceived more change in commitments during their first year than those not experiencing a conflict. Despite the differences bet…
Are Conflicts the Motor in Identity Change
This paper aims to find empirical evidence for the assumption that conflicts are the motor of identity development. I hypothesized that conflicts in a specific domain cause an increase in exploration, a decrease in the strength of commitments, and a change in the content of commitments in that same domain. Eight participants kept a diary in which they reported the most important events during 6 months. The identity status in 6 domains before and …
Fischer's Skill Theory Applied to Identity Development
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…
Micro-level mechanisms of identity development
Based on Marcia's theory, many researchers consider exploration and commitment as the main processes in identity development. Although some identity theorists have hypothesized that emotional experience may also be an important part of the mechanisms of identity development, empirical research to investigate this claim has been lagging behind. In this study, we shed light on the role of emotional experiences in micro-level commitment dynamics, an…
Fischer's Skill Theory Applied to Identity Development
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…
An Analysis of Identity Change in Adulthood
Despite increasing evidence that identity changes in adulthood do take place, there is little knowledge about what the process of change looks like. We perceive identity change as a change in the organization and rules that underlie identity commitments. Based on script theory (Tomkins, 1995) and on notions about the processes in adult development and clinical theories, we developed a conceptualization of this process. Conflicts are seen as the p…
The Effects of Career Choice Guidance on Identity Development
We investigated the effects of a student career choice guidance on identity development. We compared the levels of identity development before and after the guidance. In addition we compared the identity development of the participants with a norm group of the same age and educational level. Following the guidance we found-as expected-that the participants showed a significant increase in commitment strength in the vocational and personal domains…
Personality expression in body motion dynamics
We studied body motion dynamics and personality differences using complex systems methods. 105 adults (aged 18–33, 70% women) completed a 15-minute laboratory task covering three self-referencing topics (self-introduction, bodily perception/sensory life, socio-emotional life). Body motion dynamics were extracted from videos using a frame-by-frame differentiation method. Recurrence Quantification Analysis derived the measures of Determinism, Entro…
Determinants and Mechanisms in Ego Identity Development
Fischer's Skill Theory Applied to Identity Development
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…
An Analysis of Identity Change in Adulthood
Despite increasing evidence that identity changes in adulthood do take place, there is little knowledge about what the process of change looks like. We perceive identity change as a change in the organization and rules that underlie identity commitments. Based on script theory (Tomkins, 1995) and on notions about the processes in adult development and clinical theories, we developed a conceptualization of this process. Conflicts are seen as the p…
Are Conflicts the Motor in Identity Change
This paper aims to find empirical evidence for the assumption that conflicts are the motor of identity development. I hypothesized that conflicts in a specific domain cause an increase in exploration, a decrease in the strength of commitments, and a change in the content of commitments in that same domain. Eight participants kept a diary in which they reported the most important events during 6 months. The identity status in 6 domains before and …
Congruency Between Domains in Commitment Development
Most identity theories conceptualize identity as a general concept that refers to the person as a whole. This conceptualization is challenged by the outcome of empirical studies that show extensive incongruence in identity development between different domains. It is hypothesized that to a great extent incongruence is caused by temporal fluctuations and differences in demands and timing in various domains. As a result, greater congruence should b…
Characteristics and Prediction of Identity Conflicts Concerning Career Goals Among First-Year University Students
A panel of 89 first-year university students participated in a longitudinal study concerning their perceptions of their career goals. As predicted, students who experienced a conflict with respect to their career goals increased their exploration activity and decreased the strength of their commitment. In addition, they perceived more change in commitments during their first year than those not experiencing a conflict. Despite the differences bet…
The Effects of Career Choice Guidance on Identity Development
We investigated the effects of a student career choice guidance on identity development. We compared the levels of identity development before and after the guidance. In addition we compared the identity development of the participants with a norm group of the same age and educational level. Following the guidance we found-as expected-that the participants showed a significant increase in commitment strength in the vocational and personal domains…
The Temporal Structure of State Self-Esteem Variability During Parent–Adolescent Interactions
Research regarding the variability of state self-esteem (SSE) commonly focuses on the magnitude of variability. In this article we provide the first empirical test of the temporalstructure of SSE as a real-time process during parent–adolescent interactions. We adopt a qualitative phenomenological approach, whereby moment-to-moment emotional and behavioral indicators of SSE are measured as they emerged during the interactions, resulting in SSE tim…
Identity Development in Deaf Adolescents
We studied identity development during 5 years in seven deaf adolescents who attended a school for deaf children in the highest level of regular secondary education (age between 14 and 18 years), administering identity interviews every year. Identity development is conceptualized as the processes of exploration and commitment formation (Bosma, 1985). We started from the assumption that because deaf adolescents meet more challenges and also-in our…
Young people’s everyday romance and sexual experiences in relation to sex-related conversations with parents
This study builds on existing research into how young people’s emergent sexual development is connected to parent–child sex-related communication through avoidance vs. disclosure. Over the course of one year, a total of 21 young people (age range 12–17.5) reported in longitudinal qualitative diaries their (1) everyday sexual experiences and (2) sex-related conversations with their parents. Using a mixed-methods approach, findings show that less s…
The Role of Time Perspective, Motivation, Attitude, and Preparation in Educational Choice and Study Progress
The present study examined the relation between study progress in the first year of education and different aspects of the process of study choice of 89 students of higher professional education. This study consists of three parts. Firstly, we explored which concepts are important in open interviews concerning choice of study and study progress. Secondly, we examined the relations between future time perspective and motivation on the one hand and…
Micro-level mechanisms of identity development
Based on Marcia's theory, many researchers consider exploration and commitment as the main processes in identity development. Although some identity theorists have hypothesized that emotional experience may also be an important part of the mechanisms of identity development, empirical research to investigate this claim has been lagging behind. In this study, we shed light on the role of emotional experiences in micro-level commitment dynamics, an…
Moral Conflicts as a Motor of Moral Identity Development at Work
Based on the identity process model, we investigated developmental differences in moral identity between leaders by analyzing their personal experiences of and reactions to actual moral conflicts at work. Using a longitudinal (16-week) qualitative design, we collected weekly moral conflict stories from ten leaders. First, after an inductive exploratory analysis we found that the leaders showed different levels of awareness (descriptive, reflectiv…
A simulation model shows how individual differences affect major life decisions
Individuals are faced with a number of major decisions throughout their lives, including the choice of a suitable education, career, and life partner. Making such major life decisions is challenging, as is evidenced by substantial rates of divorce and drop-out from higher education. Although poor major life decisions can lead to considerable costs for both individuals and society, little is known about how people make these decisions. This is bec…
The Relation between Commitment and a Balanced Time Orientation in Adulthood
We studied the relation between time perspective and commitment formation. These concepts are part of a complex dynamic system, in which individual transitional experiences are relevant. Individual development may proceed along different pathways. Based on theory and research we expected that this relation will firstly differ between individuals, and secondly may change within an individual with increasing age during adulthood. We expected strong…
Iterative Micro-Identity Content Analysis
Identity development occurs in the context of real-time interactions. However, existing research on interactions has focused on identity processes and little is known about identity content development within interactions. We define real-time identity as claims about selves, formulated in the service of an interactional “social business.” The aim of this methodological paper is to introduce Iterative Micro-Content Analysis (IMICA) as an approach …
Real-time Identity Processes
Exploring Exploration
In this short-term longitudinal study, we examine specific examples of identity exploration in real-time interactions among peers. The participants included 12 first-year students majoring in literature, social sciences, and humanities at a national university in Japan (Mage = 18.2; SD = 0.39; 83.3% female). They were divided into four triads that participated in weekly 20-minute discussions for nine successive weeks around three identity domains…
Real-Time Identity Processes
The Relation between Vocational Commitment and Need Fulfillment in Real Time Experiences in Clinical Internships
This study concerns the question how specific characteristics of real-time experiences relate to commitment change. The focus is on the real-time fulfillment of the basic needs: the need for competence, for relatedness and for autonomy. The research question was: “What is the relation between real time need fulfillment and commitment in psychology students during their practical internships?” The participants were 56 master students who did a fiv…
The Role of Emotional Experiences in Commitment Development in Internship Students
In this study I address the relation between real-time experiences and vocational identity development in psychology students during their practical internship. By means of a multi-method approach I aimed to shed light on the role of salient emotional experiences in commitment development, and on the characteristics of these experiences. In a diary study internship students reported every week about their most relevant experience. For each studen…
The interacting partner as the immediate environment
OBJECTIVE: In social interactions, humans tend to naturally synchronize their body movements. We investigated interpersonal synchronization in conversations and examined its relationship with personality differences and post-interaction appraisals. METHOD: In a 15-minute semi-structured conversation, 56 previously-unfamiliar dyads introduced themselves, followed by self-disclosing and argumentative conversations. Their bodily movements were video…
I’m Totally Different”-Developmental Processes Underlying the Recurrent Construction of Identity Content Within Everyday Interactions
Background/Aim: Little is known about how emerging adults explore, negotiate and consolidate the meanings of their identities in peer interactions. This study examined the recurrent construction of identity claims within everyday interactions in the pursuit of local conversational goals. Methods: Six emerging adults were paired in dyads for three video-recorded conversations about ‘dating, romance, and sex’. Transcripts of the interactions were a…
Personality expression in body motion dynamics
We studied body motion dynamics and personality differences using complex systems methods. 105 adults (aged 18–33, 70% women) completed a 15-minute laboratory task covering three self-referencing topics (self-introduction, bodily perception/sensory life, socio-emotional life). Body motion dynamics were extracted from videos using a frame-by-frame differentiation method. Recurrence Quantification Analysis derived the measures of Determinism, Entro…
Turning Points in Professional Commitment Development
We investigated the development of professional commitment over time and its relation to work experiences of novice nurses. We used a longitudinal mixed-method approach based on weekly reported quantitative commitment scores and qualitative descriptions of experiences. Specifically, we examined turning points in commitment trajectories and analyzed qualitative characteristics of the turning point. To determine a turning point, we firstly computed…
Psychology (26 works) · Social Psychology (24 works) · Identity, Memory, and Therapy (17 works) · Developmental psychology (15 works) · Computer Science (10 works) · Self-concept (7 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Aesthetics (6 works) · Identity (music (6 works) · Cognitive Abilities and Testing (5 works)