Not all identity style items refer to identity: Does it matter?

Abstract

Identity styles describe the ways in which adolescents approach identity issues. The Identity Style Inventory-3 (ISI-3) has been extensively used to measure these styles. Some of the items on the ISI-3 refer specifically to domains in which identity decisions are made whereas other items do not. This study reports findings regarding whether these two types of items yield different conclusions in terms of the identity style correlates. Three sets of correlates are considered: personality, psychological well-being, and commitment. A battery consisting of the Five Factor Personality Inventory, the Psychological Well-Being scales, and the ISI-3 was administered to 236 Hellene students. The results of a series of z-tests reveal that the two types of items are differentially correlated for the normative and the diffuse/avoidant identity styles. The conclusion is that this problem with the ISI may be ameliorated if all its items are made pertinent to identity issues. Copyright © 2007, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.