Developing a Scale for Measuring Ego Identity

the development of a valid and reliable ego identity sca- le which takes into account the cultural characteris- tics of the Iranian society is a fundamental matter. To deve- lop such scale, 442 female (N = 249) and male (N = 193) uni- versity students were administrated a researcher-devised questionnaire, originating from Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (Adams, Bennion & Hugh, 1989, Adams, 1998). The structure and content of scale were analyzed, using the Smallest Space Analysis (SSA) technique. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Findings suggest the accuracy of four identity statuses of the questionnaire (achieved, moratorium, foreclosed and diffused) derived through internal consistency (alpha co- efficients ranged from 0.77 to 0.85), and the reliability of Marcia’s theoretical model (1966) of ego identity (explo- ration and commitment) for measurement in Iranian culture. Content and structural analysis of ego identity made pos- sible the identification of all above mentioned status of ego and showed that the constituted areas of identity sta- tus were clearly distinguishable. Data suggest that the de- veloped scale of Ego Identity Measurement can be a reliable instrument for measuring ego identity in both genders.