Description

This measure is a modified version of the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (MIBI) originally developed by Sellers et al. (1997). In the Chee, Shorty, & Robinson Kurpius (2018) study, the MIBI was adapted for use with Native American undergraduates to assess ethnic identity. The scale evaluates dimensions such as the centrality of ethnic identity to the individual’s self-concept, private regard (positive or negative feelings about one’s ethnic group), and public regard (perceptions of how others view one’s ethnic group).

AI/AN Communities where the measure has been used

Native American students in the United States. Most southwest tribe.

Demographics of AI/AN participants where the scale has been used

Undergraduate students (ages ~18–25) enrolled in southwestern US university

Notes on adaptations or modifications

  • Modified from the MIBI by Johnson et al (2005) for use with Native American, Euro American, and Latine students, rewording items to reflect specific ethnic identity rather than Black identity.
  • 3 items that failed to correlate with other scale items were deleted during psychometric evaluation: 2 items in centrality subscale (one asking about “strong sense of attachment” to other Native American people; other asking about being Native American a “major factor in social relationships”) and 1 item in public regard subscale (“most people consider Native Americans, on the average, to be more ineffective than other racial groups”).

Modality and administration

Administered as a self-report paper-and-pencil questionnaire in a university setting.

Scoring

Items rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 7 (“strongly agree”). Subscale scores are calculated by averaging items within each dimension (centrality, private regard, public regard), with higher scores indicating stronger presence of that identity dimension. Reverse scoring where appropriate.

Psychometric evidence

  • Cronbach’s alpha for centrality scale was .56, but when 2 items that failed to correlate with other scale items were deleted, Cronbach’s alpha was .69
  • Cronbach’s alpha for private regard was .78
  • Cronbach’s alpha for public regard was .64, but when an item that failed to correlate with other scale items was deleted, Cronbach’s alpha was .71

Citation(s)

  • Sellers, R. M., Rowley, S. A., Chavous, T. M., Shelton, J. N., & Smith, M. A. (1997). Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity: A preliminary investigation of reliability and construct validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(4), 805–815. [Original citation]
  • Chee, C. L., Shorty, E. R., & Robinson Kurpius, S. E. (2018). Academic stress of Native American undergraduates: The role of ethnic identity, cultural congruity, and self-beliefs. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 11(4), 389–400. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000067

Note: The included citations are not exhaustive, but represent the examples we had access to. If you are an original author or have other work that could be included here, please contact us.