Mentalization and Identity Formation Processes: Differentiating Between Self and Other Mentalizing

Given the growing prevalence of psychopathology related to the self, it is important to explore psychological processes associated with this domain. One such process appears to be mentalization — the capacity to reflect on one’s own and others’ internal states — which deficits have been repeatedly associated with identity diffusion, particularly within clinical populations. The aim of the present study was to broaden this perspective by (i) focusing on a developmental and normative approach, rather than a clinical and deficit-based one, and (ii) by distinguishing between self-mentalization and other-mentalization. Results from a sample of individuals in emerging adulthood (ages 18–29; N = 191) showed that self-mentalization was a positive predictor of adaptive identity processes (Commitment Making, Identification with Commitment, Exploration in Depth) and a negative predictor of maladaptive Ruminative Exploration. Mentalization of others yielded less consistent results — it positively predicted both the developmentally expected process of Exploration in Breadth and the undesirable Ruminative Exploration. Furthermore, a discrepancy analysis indicated that relatively greater certainty about others’ mental states, compared to one’s own, was a positive predictor of Ruminative Exploration, but not Exploration in Breadth. Overall, these findings suggest that self-mentalization may be a consistent predictor of desirable identity processes, while mentalization of others — on its own — may not. The study thus highlights the particular importance of self-mentalization in identity formation and points to the complex relationship with other-mentalization.