Religious Beliefs and Purpose in Life Emerge as Salient Personal Identity Domains among Indonesian Adolescents
Yogyakarta, 3 September 2026 — Research conducted by the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has revealed that religious beliefs and purpose in life are the most salient aspects of personal identity among Indonesian adolescents.
The finding comes from a study entitled “Personal Identity Domains among Adolescents in Indonesia: Salience of Religious Beliefs and Purpose in Life” conducted by Darmawan Muttaqin, S.Psi., M.A., Prof. Dr. Tina Afiatin, M.Si., Psikolog, dan Sutarimah Ampuni, S.Psi., M.Si., M.Psych., Ph.D., Psikolog. The study highlights the importance of culture-specific contexts in determining which aspects of life are most relevant to adolescent identity development. Historically, research on adolescent identity has focused primarily on the processes of exploration and commitment, while the identity content or domains that are most salient within particular cultural contexts have not been systematically mapped.
To map these domains, the researchers involved 454 adolescents aged 10 to 18 years from eight islands across Indonesia. The participants were assessed using the Personal Identity Domain Questionnaire (PIDQ), which was specifically designed to assess the salience and clarity of 30 different adolescent identity domains.
The analysis showed that religious beliefs consistently ranked as the most salient and stable identity domain across all stages of adolescence. The prominence of the religious domain is highly consistent with Indonesia’s collectivist culture, which positions religion as a central component of social and personal life, with spiritual values actively socialized from an early age. Although adolescents continue to develop, their level of thought and understanding regarding religious beliefs remains relatively stable, with no significant differences observed between early, middle, and late adolescence.
Meanwhile, the purpose-in-life domain also ranked among the highest, but demonstrated a different developmental pattern. As they grow older, Indonesian adolescents increasingly think about and develop a clearer understanding of their future direction and the life goals they seek to achieve. Age-related developmental patterns were also observed in other domains, including romantic relationships, politics, and married life. These domains were rarely considered during early adolescence but began to receive greater attention during late adolescence.
Overall, the study emphasizes that adolescent identity issues cannot be understood universally without considering young people’s social and cultural backgrounds. The findings also have implications for education, counseling, and adolescent support, highlighting the importance of understanding identity development contextually by taking into account the values and experiences that are relevant to Indonesian adolescents.
Editor: Zufar
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