Differentiation of Self among Iranian University Students: A Study of Psychometric Properties of Differentiation of Self Inventory-Short Form

‘Differentiation of self’ is an important factor for a person to cope with stressors and improve mental health. Therefore, it is necessary to provide appropriate instruments to assess this construct. The present research aims to study the psychometric properties of the Differentiation of Self Inventory - Short Form as an appropriate instrument for assessing differentiation of self in the Iranian society. After translation and adaptation of the questionnaire, 384 undergraduate students at Shiraz University who were selected using random multi-stage sampling method, responded to it. The instruments used in this study consisted of Differentiation of Self Inventory-Short Form (DSI-SF) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The results of factor analysis showed that the structure of this questionnaire clearly referred to the four factors of differentiation including fusion with others, emotional cut-off, emotional reactivity, and I-position. Face validity was confirmed by experts, and correlation coefficient of each component with the total score was significant. Moreover, the significant negative correlation between DSI-SF scores and somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression scores was indicative of concurrent criterion validity. For the validity of scale, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was desirable. The results of showed that the validity and reliability of DSI-SH is qualified for assessing the differentiation of self, and that it can be used as a useful instrument for assessing the differentiation of self in the Iranian society.The role ofculture was also discussed in this study.