Ethnic identity by any other name...: A longitudinal analysis of the measurement of ethnic identity in an urban African American early adolescent sample

This study investigated the structural properties of Phinney's (1992) Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). Research conducted with adolescents has begun to examine the development of ethnic identity with adolescents and its potential relationship to psychological and behavioral outcomes. Phinney's (MEIM) has been utilized quite extensively in the area of adolescent development of ethnic identity. However, the MEIM has been utilized in various forms based on Phinney's (1992) original study and, more currently, factor analyses conducted by a variety of researchers (e.g., Arbono et al., 1999; Roberts et al., 1999). In addition, the MEIM in its original version does not measure theoretical (e.g., Marcia, 1966) components of ethnic identity, ethnic identity commitment and ethnic identity exploration.;The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to examine the ability to adequately measure the components of ethnic identity commitment and ethnic identity exploration via the MEIM based on expert reviewer's ratings of the MEIM items; and (2) to assess the structural properties of the MEIM as it was originally theoretically constructed by Phinney (1992) and as it is currently derived by Roberts et al. (1999). This study was conducted with data from a larger longitudinal study focusing on violence prevention. The data was based on responses from 294 students (125 males and 169 females) collected during the Fall of 1997 when the students were in seventh grade and in the Fall of 1998 when the students were in eighth grade. Concept mapping (Trochim, 1989) and confirmatory factor analyses via LISREL were conducted.;Concept mapping and confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the MEIM could be structured so as to measure the components of ethnic identity exploration and ethnic identity commitment. The two-factor model based on concept mapping procedures yielded similar factor structures to the factors derived by Roberts et al. (1999). Further analyses demonstrated that students could be categorized into identity statuses based on these two factors. Phinney's (1992) scales did not fit the data well within this sample.;A limitation of this study is that there were small individual samples of boys and girls and this could influence the results of confirmatory factor analyses. Additionally, this study dealt with urban African American early adolescents and cannot be generalized to other populations. Further research is needed to validate the two factors of ethnic identity commitment and ethnic identity exploration, specifically across various ethnic and age groups.