The Role of Peers as Agents of Identity Formation in Japanese First-Year University Students

This study demonstrated that peers can act as agents of late adolescent identity formation. A short-term longitudinal study was used to examine identity formation in Japanese first-year university students (n = 170), specifically focusing on identity exploration in the learning sphere among students during their transition to a university. The study examined characteristics of adolescent peer agents and described how they facilitate identity exploration of other adolescents. Five categories of perspectives and actions of peer agents were identified: identity concern, identity goals, identity clues, companionship, and bridging. Peer agents shared learning goals and provided motivation in the process of exploration. Implications of these findings for the role of peers as agents in adolescent identity formation and the characteristics of peer agents in Japanese cultural context are discussed.