SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Türk Psikolojik Danışma ve Rehberlik Dergisi / 2026 / Volume: 16 Issue: 81

The Relationship between Positive Childhood Experiences, Ego Identity Process, and Resilience

Mehmet Emin Şanlı(BATMAN UNIVERSITY, BATMAN VOCATIONAL SCHOOL)0000-0002-5515-2752
Fatma Ayhan(BATMAN ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-9717-1727
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-06-29
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The results showed that PCES scores, BRS scores, and age significantly predicted ego identity processes and resilience.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study investigates the associations between positive childhood experiences, ego identity processes, and resilience, and also explores group differences across sociodemographic variables.
📊
Key Findings & Data:The study sample consisted of 1,225 individuals recruited through convenience sampling.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The results showed that PCES scores, BRS scores, and age significantly predicted ego identity processes and resilience.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Childhood · Ego · Identity

Abstract

This study investigates the associations between positive childhood experiences, ego identity processes, and resilience, and also explores group differences across sociodemographic variables. The study sample consisted of 1,225 individuals recruited through convenience sampling. In the study, the researchers used the Positive Childhood Experiences Scale (PCES), the Ego Identity Process Scale (EIPS), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via social media platforms and analyzed using SPSS software. The results showed that PCES scores, BRS scores, and age significantly predicted ego identity processes and resilience. The results demonstrated that positive childhood experiences are positively associated with both resilience and ego identity processes. Furthermore, the findings indicated a significant positive relationship between ego identity processes and resilience. The researchers also identified significant sociodemographic differences in resilience and ego identity processes, particularly with respect to gender, age, marital status, and parenthood status, whereas positive childhood experiences did not differ significantly across most sociodemographic variables. To foster a strong sense of identity and resilience, policies should be developed to promote positive experiences during childhood. Furthermore, strengthening preventive mental health services for at-risk children and adolescents, planning training programs for families, and supporting positive environmental conditions play a critical role in ensuring healthier identity development and psychological well-being in later life

🔖

Cite This Article

Şanlı, M. E., Ayhan, F., *, F. A. (2026). The Relationship between Positive Childhood Experiences, Ego Identity Process, and Resilience. Türk Psikolojik Danışma ve Rehberlik Dergisi, Volume: 16 Issue: 81. https://doi.org/10.17066/tpdrd.1640772

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (43)

  1. Arslan, E., & Arı, R. (2008). The Turkish Adaptation, Reliability, and Validity Study of the Ego Identity Process Scale. The Journal of Selcuk University Social Sciences Institute, 20, 75–80.
  2. Artan, T., Atak, I., Karaman, M., & Cebeci, F. (2020). Relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, psychological resilience and anxiety levels in the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Turkish Studies, 15(6), 79-94. https://doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.43882
  3. Aypay, A., & Eryılmaz, A. (2011). Investigation of relationship between adolescents’ subjective wellbeing and identity status. Dicle University Journal of Ziya Gokalp Education Faculty, 16, 167-179.
  4. Balisteri, E., Busch- Rossnagel, N. A., & Geisinger, K. F. (1995). Development and preliminary validation of the ego identity process questionnaire. Journal of Adolescence, 18, 179-192. https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.1995.1012
  5. Banducci, A. N., Hoffman, E., Lejuez, C. W., & Koenen, K. C. (2014). The relationship between child abuse and negative outcomes among substance users: Psychopathology, health, and comorbidities. Addictive Behaviors, 39(10), 1522-1527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.05.023
  6. Bang, H. (2015). African American undergraduate students’ wisdom and ego-identity development: Effects of age, gender, self-esteem, and resilience. Journal of Black Psychology, 41(2), 95-120. https://doi.org/10.1177/009579841351017
  7. Benson, P. L., & Bundick, M. J. (2020). Erikson and adolescent development: Contemporary views on an enduring legacy. Journal of Child and Youth Care Work, 25, 195-205. https://doi.org/10.5195/jcycw.2015.81
  8. Bethell, C., Jones, J., Gombojav, N., Linkenbach, J., & Sege, R. (2019). Positive childhood experiences and adult mental and relational health in a statewide sample. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(11), e193007. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.3007
  9. Bilgin, O., İnce, M., Çolakoğlu, Ö. M., & Yeşilyurt, E. (2021). Investigation of adults' positive childhood. Journal of World of Turks/Zeitschrift Für Die Welt Der Türken, 13(3), 251‐264. https://doi.org/10.46291/ZfWT/130315
  10. Bradley, R. G., Binder, E. B., Epstein, M. P., Tang, Y., Nair, H. P., Liu, W.,. & Stowe, Z. N. (2008). Influence of child abuse on adult depression: moderation by the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor gene. Archives of General Psychiatry, 65(2), 190-200. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2007.26
  11. Chaplin, T., & Aldao, A. (2013). Gender differences in emotion expression in children: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 139(4), 735-65. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030737
  12. Cramer, P. (2000). Development of identity: Gender makes a difference. Journal of Research in Personality, 34(1), 42-72. https://doi.org/10.1006/jrpe.1999.2270
  13. Çabuker, N. D., & Çelik, S. B. (2019). Investigation of relationship between university students' perceptions of the separation, individuation and identity. Ondokuz Mayis University Journal of Education Faculty, 38(1), 53-72. https://doi.org/10.7822/omuefd.461862
  14. Çakir, S. G. (2014). Ego identity status and psychological well-being among Turkish emerging adults. An International Journal of Theory and Research, 14(3), 230-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/15283488.2014.921169
  15. Çelebi, G. Y. (2020). Investigation of reactions to the COVID-19 outbreak in terms of psychological resilience. IBAD Journal of Social Sciences, 8, 471-483. https://doi.org/10.21733/ibad.737406
  16. Çetin, F., Yeloglu, H. O., & Basim, H. N. (2015). The role of big five personality on predicting the resilience: A canonical relation analysis. Turkish Journal of Psychology, 30(75), 81-95.
  17. Çiçek, İ., & Çeri, V. (2021). Positive Childhood Experiences Scale: Turkish validity and reliability study. Humanistic Perspective, 3(3), 643-659. https://doi.org/10.47793/hp.980149
  18. Davis, P. (1999). Gender differences in autobiographical memory for childhood emotional experiences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(3), 498–510. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.76.3.498
  19. Dereboy, Ç., Şahin Demirkapı, E., Şakiroğlu, M., & Şafak Öztürk, C. (2018). The relationship between childhood traumas, identity development, difficulties in emotion regulation and psychopathology. Turkish Journal of Psychiatry, 29(4), 147–156. https://doi.org/10.5080/u20463
  20. Doğan, T. (2015). Adaptation of the Brief Resilience Scale into Turkish: A validity and reliability study. The Journal of Happiness & Well-Being, 3, 93-102.
  21. Doğan, T., & Aydın, F. T. (2021). Do happy children become happy adults?. The Journal of Humanity and Society, 11(1), 69-95. https://www.doi.org/10.12658/M0437
  22. Doğan, T., & Yavuz, K. (2020). Resilience, positive childhood experiences and perceived happiness among adults. Current Approaches in Psychiatry, 12, 312-330. https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.750839
  23. Ergün, N. (2020). Identity development: narrative identity and intergenerational narrative identity. Current Approaches in Psychiatry, 12(4), 455-475. https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.676439
  24. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis (Second edition). New York: Norton.
  25. Erikson, E. H. (1980). Identity and Life Cycle. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
  26. Ertürk, R. (2018). Relationship between organizational justice and organizational identity of teachers. Journal of Education, Theory and Practical Research, 4(1), 89-98.
  27. Hofer, J., Kärtner, J., Chasiotis, A., Busch, H., & Kiessling, F. (2007). Socio-cultural aspects of identity formation: The relationship between commitment and well-being in student samples from Cameroon and Germany. An International Journal of Theory and Research, 7(4), 265-288. https://doi.org/10.1080/15283480701600744
  28. Kimter, N. (2020). Examining the psychological resilience levels of individuals in the days of Covid-19 in terms of some variables. IBAD Journal of Social Sciences, 574-605. https://doi.org/10.21733/ibad.805481
  29. Kinard, E. (1982). Child abuse and depression: Cause or consequence?. Child Welfare, 61, 403-413. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45393974
  30. Kocatürk, M., & Çiçek, İ. (2021). Relationship between positive childhood experiences and psychological resilience in university students: The mediating role of self-esteem. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2021.16
  31. Kul, A., Demir, R., & Katmer, A. N. (2020). Meaning of life and anxiety as predictors of psychological resilience during the Covid-19 epidemic. Electronic Turkish Studies, 15(6), 695-719. https://doi.org/10.7827/turkishstudies.44419
  32. Luyckx, K., Schwartz, S. J., Goossens, L., Beyers, W., & Missotten, L. (2011). Processes of personal identity formation and evaluation. In S. J. Schwartz, K. Luyckx, & V. L. Vignoles (Eds.), Handbook of identity theory and research (pp. 77-98). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7988-9_4
  33. Philippe, F. L., Laventure, S., Beaulieu-Pelletier, G., Lecours, S., & Lekes, N. (2011). Ego-resiliency as a mediator between childhood trauma and psychological symptoms. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 30(6), 583-598. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2011.30.6.583
  34. Polat, Ö., Balaban, S., & Aydın, E. (2022). Positive childhood experiences and organizational identity perceptions of preschool teachers. Journal of Theory and Practice in Education, 18(1), 12-26. https://doi.org/10.17244/eku.1049022
  35. Sawyer, S. M., Azzopardi, P. S., Wickremarathne, D., & Patton, G. C. (2018). The age of adolescence. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2(3), 223-228. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30022-1
  36. Sharma, D., & Chandiramani, K. (2021). Impact of identity process on psychological wellbeing of adolescents. The International Journal of Indian, 9(1), 2349-3429. https://doi.org/10.25215/0901.082
  37. Southwick, S. M., Bonanno, G. A., Masten, A. S., Panter‐Brick, C., & Yehuda, R. (2014). Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: Interdisciplinary perspectives. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 5(1), 25338. https://doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v5.25338
  38. Syed, M., Eriksson, P. L., Frisén, A., Hwang, C. P., & Lamb, M. E. (2020). Personality development from age 2 to 33: Stability and change in ego resiliency and ego control and associations with adult adaptation. Developmental Psychology, 56(4), 815-832. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000895
  39. Şar, V., Öztürk, E., & İkikardeş, E. (2012). Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Türkiye Klinikleri Journal of Medical Sciences, 32(4), 1054-63. https://doi.org/10.5336/medsci.2011-26947
  40. Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics (6th ed.). Pearson.
  41. Talu, E. (2020). The Effect of the Perception of Body Image in Adolescents on the Identity Development Process. Inonu University Journal of the Faculty of Education, 21(2), 1116–1135. https://doi.org/10.17679/inuefd.766776
  42. Traş, Z., & Gökce, Z. (2017). Analysis of high school students’ career decision-making difficulties and ego identity statuses according to some variables. The Journal of Turkish Educational Sciences, 15(1), 58–69.
  43. Zhang, M., Zhang, J., Zhang, F., Zhang, L., & Feng, D. (2018). Prevalence of psychological distress and the effects of resilience and perceived social support among Chinese college students: Does gender make a difference?. Psychiatry Research, 267, 409-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.038