Qualitative and quantitative aspects of commitment development in psychology students

We investigated the development of study- and work-related commitments in 28 psychology students during their bachelor years. Based on seven measurements of exploration and commitments (over a period of three-and-a-half years) we found the theoretically expected information-oriented, normative and diffuse trajectories. In addition, the longitudinal data allowed us to distinguish between a stable and a fluctuating information-oriented trajectory. We also found a stable moratorium and a regression trajectory. Clear, qualitative differences were found between the commitments in the different types of trajectories. Commitments in the information-oriented trajectories show more differentiation, development and change than those in the normative or diffuse trajectories. The fluctuating trajectory showed more doubt and negative emotions than the gradual and normative trajectories. The commitments in the normative trajectories were characterized by high levels of satisfaction and well-being, and by low levels of differentiation and development. The moratorium trajectories showed the highest levels of doubt and negative emotions, and the diffuse trajectories were average in this respect.