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Development and construct validation of the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults (ITEA)
Luka Komidar1, Maja Zupančič, Gregor Sočan
1a Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts , University of Ljubljana , Slovenia.
Journal of Personality Assessment
|November 12, 2013
Summary
This study introduces the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults (ITEA), the first self-report measure for individuation in emerging adulthood. The ITEA demonstrates reliable and valid assessment of parent-child relationships during this developmental stage.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Adolescent Psychology
Background:
- Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period characterized by increasing independence.
- Existing measures may not adequately capture the nuances of individuation from parents during this life stage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct and validate the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults (ITEA).
- To provide a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing individuation from mothers and fathers in emerging adults.
Main Methods:
- Development and validation of a 36-item self-report questionnaire (ITEA).
- Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted across two studies.
- Multigroup analyses examined factorial invariance across gender.
Main Results:
- The ITEA demonstrated a stable 5-factor structure: Support Seeking, Connectedness, Intrusiveness, Self-Reliance, and Fear of Disappointing the Parent.
- Factor structure invariance was confirmed for both male and female emerging adults, and in relation to mothers and fathers.
- The ITEA scales exhibited good internal consistency and concurrent validity with established measures of psychological separation.
Conclusions:
- The Individuation Test for Emerging Adults (ITEA) is a reliable and valid measure for assessing individuation.
- The ITEA provides a valuable tool for researchers and clinicians studying emerging adults' relationships with their parents.
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