Identity Reconsideration across the Lifespan as a Function of Selection, Optimization, and Compensation

Identity reconsideration, the reevaluation of one’s identity commitments in response to life transitions and contextual changes, is increasingly recognized as a normative, ongoing process throughout the lifespan. This paper proposes a novel application of the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) model to identity reconsideration, presenting how it can be used to understand the developmental, self-regulatory strategies people use to manage identity change. Unlike previous applications of the SOC model, which have primarily focused on identity development or maintenance, this paper emphasizes how SOC strategies enable individuals to navigate identity disruption through both elective and loss-based selections. Developmental examples across adolescence and emerging adulthood, middle adulthood, and older adulthood illustrate how SOC processes vary in function and form across life stages. This framework contributes to identity theory by clarifying how people adaptively revise their identities over time and provides a foundation for future research and identity-supportive interventions.