Marcia separates identity formation into four distinct categories: identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, moratorium, and identity achievement. All of these are the separate stages in the formation of identity for a young person and their path to self-understanding. Identity diffusion relates to the stage in a young person’s life where they do not have a strong sense of identity yet. Their goals are reactive and largely depend on their environment. They are easy to influence and do not know a lot about themselves. Identity foreclosure corresponds to adolescence with a low level of self-exploration but a high level of commitment, often resulting in stubbornness. The moratorium, on the contrary, corresponds to high levels of exploration and low levels of commitment, where an adolescent is experimenting with their sense of self. Finally, identity achievement represents both a high degree of exploration and a high degree of commitment.
I would say that out of these categories. I would put myself into the moratorium category. I have been changing my hobbies very frequently since I began studying in college, attempting to find something that would make me passionate in the long term. I perceive the world as full of opportunities for me and would like to understand where is my place within it. However, I realize that to do so, it might be necessary to experiment and learn more about myself. These, I believe, are indicators of the high levels of exploration and low levels of commitment.
If I was in the identity foreclosure category, I would actively attach myself to a singular idea, hobby, or another identity marker. For the purposes of the example, I imagine myself as a dedicated fan of a singular rock band. I would fully tie my identity to this rock band and perceive others disliking their music as an attack on my personal self. I would not listen to other music (low degree of exploration) but would continuously insist that the music of my favorite rock band is the best (high degree of commitment).