The Revised Identity Style Inventory: Factor Structure and Validity in Italian Speaking Students

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Adolescent and adult identity development is crucial.
• The Revised Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5) is a key measure.
• Validating cross-cultural adaptations of psychological instruments is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the factor structure of the Italian translation of the Revised Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5).
• To assess the convergent and discriminant validity of the ISI-5 in Italian samples.
• To examine measurement invariance across adolescent and university student groups.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was employed.
• The study utilized two samples: 237 adolescents and 268 university students.
• The ISI-5 scores were correlated with measures of reasoning, identity processes, commitment, and social desirability.

Main Results:

• A three-factor solution demonstrated a good fit for the ISI-5.
• This factor structure was found to be invariant across different age and sex groups.
• Theoretical relationships with other constructs were partially supported, indicating a need for further validation.

Conclusions:

• The Italian version of the ISI-5 exhibits a robust three-factor structure.
• The findings support the use of the ISI-5 for assessing identity styles in Italian adolescents and young adults.
• Additional research is recommended to strengthen evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the ISI-5.