The Identity Project intervention as a way to promote adolescents' cultural identity development: long-term effects and moderation by family ethnic socialization

We examined whether Italian adolescents who participated in an adapted 8-week school-based intervention, the Identity Project, reported greater changes in cultural identity content (i.e. centrality, private regard, and public regard), higher global identity cohesion and better self-esteem. Familial ethnic socialization was explored as moderator for cultural identity. We used a longitudinal, wait-list control design across the school years 2022-2023 using pre-test and three follow-up assessments (1,5, and 15 weeks after baseline). The sample included 580 ninth graders (Mage = 14.19 years, SD = .75, 52% female, 38% of immigrant background) of 29 classes randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition. No cascading effect on psychosocial wellness variables or cultural identity content emerged. Youth with lower (vs. higher) levels of familial ethnic socialization benefited more in terms of private regard. Implications for developmental theory and practice are discussed.