In the context of James Marcia's identity status theory in developmental psychology, individuals in identity moratorium:

• A. Have neither explored options nor made a commitment.
• B. Have explored options and made a firm commitment.
• C. Are actively exploring options but have not yet made a commitment.
• D. Have made a commitment without exploring alternatives.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that James Marcia's identity status theory categorizes individuals based on two dimensions: exploration (whether they have considered different identity options) and commitment (whether they have made a firm decision about their identity).
2. Recall the four identity statuses defined by Marcia: identity diffusion (no exploration, no commitment), identity foreclosure (commitment without exploration), identity moratorium (exploration without commitment), and identity achievement (exploration followed by commitment).
3. Identify that the question focuses on the identity moratorium status, which involves active exploration of identity options but no firm commitment yet.
4. Match the description of identity moratorium to the options given: it corresponds to 'actively exploring options but have not yet made a commitment.'
5. Confirm that the other options correspond to different identity statuses: no exploration and no commitment (diffusion), exploration and commitment (achievement), and commitment without exploration (foreclosure).