A validity study of scores on the multigroup ethnic identity measure basedon a sample of academically talented adolescents

This study examined the validity of scores on the Multigroup Ethnic Identit y Measure (MEIM) in a group of 275 academically talented adolescents attend ing a summer enrichment program. The two-factor solution reported by Phinne y was essentially replicated with this sample using exploratory factor anal ysis. Factor I (Ethnic Identity) scores had a reliability coefficient of .8 9, and Factor II (Other Group Orientation) scores had a reliability coeffic ient of .76. Although the replication of Phinney's results provides support ive evidence for the factor structure of the MEIM, the instrument would ben efit from work on its psychometric soundness, particularly as ethnic identi ty is hypothesized to be related to many important variables in adolescence .