Abstract

Based on Eriksonian theory and research on identity formation, Adams and Marshall (1996) proposed that there are five basic functions of identity. These include provision of: (a) the structure for understanding who one is; (b) meaning and direction through commitments, values and goals; (c) a sense of personal control and free will; (d) consistency, coherence and harmony between values, beliefs and commitments; and (e) the ability to recognize potential in the form of future possibilities and alternative choices. Serafini and Adams (2002) operationalized the constructs by creating the Functions of Identity Scale (FIS). Various studies have examined the validity of the FIS (e.g., Serafini, Maitland, & Adams, 2003).

The current study addressed perceived gaps in previous work within the framework of continued revision and validation of the FIS. In order to address concerns, the study had four main goals: to revise the Control subscale and establish its construct validity; to assess the structural validity of a five-factor model; to establish the external validity of each of the subscales; and to test the structural relationships between the functions of identity and other identity constructs (i.e. identity statuses and identity styles). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were employed with a sample of 422 female and 107 male undergraduate students from two universities in Southern Ontario.

Conceptual revisions to the Control function involved a shift in emphasis from locus of control to personal control and self-regulation. The original FIS scale items were also revised to increase clarity and readability (5.5 grade reading level). Results of CFA supported the construct validity of the revised five-factor measurement model containing 15 items and the new Personal Control factor. The external validity of each of the subscales was also established and several predictive relationships between the functions of identity and identity statuses and identity styles were supported. Rigorous validity testing, strong psychometric properties, low reading level, brevity, utility in both research and clinical domains, and a noncategorical approach to measuring identity consolidation make the FIS an attractive complement or alternative to other identity measures currently in use.