Which identity status represents both exploration and commitment?

• A. Identity achievement
• B. Identity foreclosure
• C. Identity diffusion
• D. Identity moratorium

Answer: (A)

Exploration and commitment are two components of how people form a stable sense of self. Identity achievement occurs when someone has actively explored different options—considered various roles, beliefs, and paths—and, after weighing them, made firm commitments to chosen aspects of their identity, such as a career direction, values, and relationships. This combination of trying out possibilities and then settling on and embracing a specific course defines this status.

Foreclosure involves making a commitment without exploration, often adopting someone else’s values or expectations. Diffusion is a state with neither exploration nor commitment. Moratorium describes ongoing exploration without a final commitment yet. When someone has both explored options and committed to their choices, that indicates identity achievement.