What is Identity Performance Psychology?

A new lens on performance

Performance psychology already includes multiple psychological determinants of performance. AURIS uses Identity Performance Psychology as a proposed applied lens for testing whether identity structure, disruption and adaptation add useful explanatory or intervention value alongside established performance, self-regulation and behaviour-change science.

IPP tests whether identity coherence, disruption and adaptation are associated with sustainable functioning or performance in defined high-demand contexts, and whether they explain anything beyond established predictors such as wellbeing, self-efficacy, adaptability and baseline performance. Those incremental and causal claims are open research questions.

Core claims

IPP draws together social identity theory, self-concept research, role-exit theory, behaviour change science and applied performance work. From these it makes a small number of testable claims:

• Identity-related constructs have documented associations with behaviour, adjustment and some performance outcomes; IPP tests their incremental relevance in defined contexts.
• AURIS uses self-recognition as the entry point to its Regulation pillar; the necessity and optimal ordering of that sequence remain to be tested.
• Identity alignment may support some forms of sustained change, but it is not assumed to be necessary for all behaviour change.
• Belonging and social connection are established psychosocial resources associated with health and adjustment; AURIS tests how they function within identity adaptation.

Why it matters for AURIS

IPP is the proposed field of inquiry AURIS uses to organise and test questions about identity, regulation, behaviour and functioning. The AURIS five-pillar coaching model is the applied framework through which those hypotheses are operationalised and evaluated.