Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the internal process of identity formation in late adolescence in relation to the psychosocial identity crisis from the viewpoint of the individual-group conflict. Subjects (252 universit students) were classified into one of three types, depending on two phases of the individual-group conflict: (a) whether or not the conflict has been experienced; and (b) if so, whether or not the conflict had already been solved. The traits of each type were subsequently determined by examining the individual's awareness of their relationship with the group and their sense of identity. The main results were as follows: (a) The experiencing of the individual-group conflict was closely related to the unsettling of the sense of identity. (b) Men tended to resolve the individual-group conflict by detaching themselves from the group and defining a personal sense of identity. (c) In women, at least two means of resolving the conflict were found. One of these means was similar to means used by men, while the other means was that of immersing themselves further into the group.
