DETERMINANTS OF THE PSYCHOSOCIAL IDENTITY OF PEOPLE WITH MODERATE INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

Psychosocial identity is an important component of a person's personality. People with intellectual disabilities, due to cognitive, emotional and social disorders, may create a distorted image of their identity. Therefore, it is worth to investigate the subject of psychosocial identity formation of people with moderate intellectual disabilities and to try to define the factors determining its formation. The aim of the research, conducted for the purposes of this paper, is to determine the factors determining the psychosocial identity of people with moderate intellectual disabilities. The study was carried out in Poland at the turn of 2019 year. The main technique of collecting data were individual biographical and narrative interviews (Jacob, 2003). The respondents were asked one key question: Could you tell me about yourself? Each interviewee signed a written consent to participate in the study. The interviews lasted from 120 to 240 minutes and were recorded on a voice-recorder. I used a narrative interview which is similar to in-depth, free conversations. Analysis of the transcribed interviews was guided by GT principles, which include limiting the researcher's pre-conceptualisation and focusing on theoretical sampling. The research has identified several factors that affect the identity. These are, among others: Full awareness of disability and knowledge of its characteristics. Acceptance of the current condition. Openness of the social environment to fair treatment of people with intellectual disabilities on equal terms with able-bodied people. Freedom of contacts with other people- Upbringing among different patterns of behaviour. Enabling people with intellectual disabilities to freely choose their way of life.