The Self-Concept and Identity Measure in Adolescents

Abstract

Abstract. Identity difficulties have been associated with various psychiatric conditions and are considered a central issue in personality pathology. Following the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders, measures of self- and interpersonal functioning have been developed. Although these measures were intended to be separate ratings of self-other deficits, only a global rating was obtained. Moreover, these measures fall short in bridging the gap between developmental and clinical identity work. To capture both adaptive and disturbed identity dimensions, Kaufman et al. (2015) developed the Self-Concept and Identity Measure (SCIM) that assesses consolidated identity, disturbed identity, and lack of identity. Using two-wave longitudinal data (2,150 adolescents; 54.2% girls; age range = 12–19), this study investigated the factor structure and reliability of the Dutch SCIM, its measurement invariance across time, its longitudinal measurement invariance across gender and age groups, and associations of the SCIM with identity synthesis and confusion, Big-Five personality traits, and borderline personality disorder features. Consolidated identity scores were positively related to identity synthesis and adaptive Big-Five traits, whereas negatively related to identity confusion, neuroticism, and borderline features. Opposite associations were obtained for disturbed identity and lack of identity scores. The Dutch SCIM appeared to produce valid and reliable scores and seemed suited to assess longitudinal identity functioning in Belgian adolescents.

An Evaluation of Age-Group Latent Mean Differences in Maladaptive Identity in Adolescence

“…Here, we demonstrate that the AIDA taps the latent construct of maladaptive identity development similarly across adolescent age groups so that meaningful developmental inferences and comparisons can be made. Other studies have shown similar age invariance of measures of adaptive identity function based on Erikson's ( 13) model [e.g., (63)] as well as maladaptive identity function (64). This should facilitate further work in continuity and change also for within person development studies of maladaptive identity.…”

The Validation of a Five-Item Screening Scale for Personality Disorders in Dutch-Speaking Community Adolescents and Adults

“…In a previous study in community adults (in Sample 1 of this study), the Dutch version of the SCIM yielded reliable and valid test scores if items 11 and 16 were excluded from the calculation of the total score in the adult samples (Bogaerts et al, 2018). In a validation study in an adolescent sample (Sample 3 of this study), four items (items 3, 11, 16, and 18) needed to be excluded to obtain valid and reliable test scores (Bogaerts et al, 2021b). In the adult samples of the present study (for the 25-item version of the SCIM), Cronbach's alpha coefficients for consolidated identity, disturbed identity, and lack of identity were .64, .81, and .87, respectively (Sample 1) and .75, .82, and .91, respectively (Sample 2).…”

“…Our second objective was to investigate convergent validity of the FISSPD with an identity measure, both in adolescents and adults. Based on previous literature (Bogaerts et al, 2018;Bogaerts et al, 2021a;Bogaerts et al, 2021b;Kaufman et al, 2015), the FISSPD was expected to be negatively associated with consolidated identity and positively associated with disturbed identity and lack of identity.…”

“…Researchers have found associations between the disturbed identity and lack of identity SCIM scales and PD symptoms (Bogaerts et al, 2021a) as well as associations specifically with borderline PD in both adults and adolescents ( Bogaerts et al, 2018;Bogaerts et al, 2021b;Kaufman et al, 2015).…”

Psychometric properties of the Romanian version of the borderline personality questionnaire in a sample of nonclinical adults

“…Since we consider this to be a limitation of our research, future studies should include instruments that are validated in the culture of the study as well as other scales to measure convergent and discriminant validity. Also, future studies should include other measurements for discriminant validity, such as Extraversion or Openness (Bogaerts et al, 2021;Keng et al, 2018). One instrument that measures both extraversion and openness is the Big Five Inventory, used in the study of Keng and collaborators (2018).…”