Brief report: The Identity Style Inventory – Validation in Italian adolescents and college students

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factor structure and convergent validity of an Italian translation of the Identity Style Inventory (ISI). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a clear three-factor structure of identity style and a mono-factor structure of commitment, not only in the overall sample, but also in gender and age subgroups. Convergent validity was demonstrated by theoretically consistent associations between the ISI dimensions and measures of identity processes, self-esteem, and need for cognitive closure. The findings suggest that the Italian version of the ISI is a useful tool for assessing social-cognitive processes relevant to identity formation in Italian adolescents and college students. © 2008 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.