Structure and validity of self-concept clarity measures

Abstract

We examine the structure and validity of existing measures of self-concept clarity (SCC). We document six different measurement strategies that have been employed in the self-concept clarity literature, review existing research on their relationships with each other and with self-esteem, and present in-progress research designed to examine their structure and validity. We conclude that these measures largely reflect different constructs and that they demonstrate distinct patterns of relationships with criteria previously examined in the self-concept clarity literature. Further, we examine incremental validity over self-esteem, noting that measures of self-concept clarity demonstrate considerably weaker relationships with criteria once self-esteem is controlled for in the analyses. We discuss measurement of selfconcept clarity, placing special emphasis on understanding potentially diverse measures of SCC-related constructs, the role of self-esteem in self-concept clarity research, and potential cultural boundedness of extant assessment strategies.