Inter-identity Association

What it measures

The scale measures perceived compatibility between two self-identities a person holds simultaneously, capturing whether they feel complementary or in conflict. Paired with its companion measure of identity-balance difficulty, it offers a fuller picture of how people manage multiple, sometimes competing, versions of themselves.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

Scale items

• In general, my Ideal identity is very similar to my Ought identity.
• In general, my Ideal identity and my Ought identity do not overlap.
• My Ideal identity is unrelated to my Ought identity.
• My Ideal identity is very much associated with my Ought identity.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

A companion scale to Identity-balance Difficulty above, also created by the lead author as part of a dissertation drawing on Higgins' (1987) self-discrepancy theory. Used by Saint Clair and Forehand (2020) across two studies (α = .88 in Study 1; not reported in Study 2). The two scales were validated together via factor analysis in Study 1.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Saint Clair, J.K., & Forehand, M.R. (2020). The Many-Faced Consumer: Consumption Consequences of Balancing Multiple Identities. Journal of Consumer Research, 46(6), 1011–1030.

Keywords