The Development, Factor Structure, and Validation of the Self-concept and Identity Measure (SCIM): A Self-Report Assessment of Clinical Identity Disturbance

摘要

Clinically relevant identity disturbance, rather than more normative identity confusion, is a construct that has received limited empirical attention. This relative lack of empirical research is surprising, given that identity disturbance is a criterion for BPD, among the proposed features of all DSM-5 personality disorders, and may also be relevant for many other psychiatric diagnoses. The nomenclature used to describe identity-related constructs is currently unstandardized and many theorists have described overlapping concepts. Thus, there is a need to operationalize identity problems and improve measurement of this important construct. In this article we report the results of two studies that establish the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Self-Concept and Identity Measure (SCIM). The SCIM is a brief, self-report scale designed to assess dimensions of identity (healthy and disturbed) among adults. Participants were recruited through a psychology department subject pool (Study 1; n = 536) and also through Amazon's Mechanical Turk Website (Study 2; n = 470). An exploratory factor analysis of Study 1 data revealed a 3-factor structure. A confirmatory factor analysis validated the 3-factor structure in the community sample recruited for Study 2. Results indicate that the SCIM is correlated with emotion dysregulation, Borderline Personality Disorder, depression, and other measures of psychopathology. Scores on the SCIM yielded high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89), test-retest reliability (alpha = 0.93, r = 0.88; intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.88), and adequate construct validity. The SCIM appears to produce valid and reliable test scores, with promising applications for clinical research and practice.