The 2 main questions you want to ask yourself are:
1. Is there evidence of identity exploration?
2. Has an identity been chosen?
Let’s say you couldn’t recall the table above. No worries! Use what you know about language and context to narrow down your choices.
Identity Achievement
An achievement is a good thing and in this case the ideal situation. Meaning the person explored identities and committed to an identity after going through their options.
Identity Moratorium
Moratorium means a temporary pause or delay. You might recall that with the pandemic, there was a moratorium on evictions. In the case of identity, it’s a delay or pause in choosing or committing to an identity despite a lot of exploration.
Identity Foreclosure
This is the act of seizing or claiming an identity without exploration, much like a bank seizes someone’s home when it has been foreclosed.
Identity Diffusion
When something is diffuse, it's abstract and hard to pinpoint because it’s spread out over a large area. With respect to identity, the person’s identity is nebulous or diffuse because it hasn’t been explored or chosen/committed to.