I see you in me: measuring mentee-mentor identification in peer-mentoring relationships

ABSTRACT

This study developed identification measures between U.S. Service Academy cadet squad members and squad leaders in peer-mentoring relationships, highlighting identification as an important antecedent to mentoring. However, research has failed to show evidence of this relationship, largely because researchers have failed to measure identification, psychometrically test their measures, or differentiate identification from related constructs. Addressing this gap, we use theories of the self and interviews of cadets and faculty members to develop measures of both mentee and mentor identification. We include these measures, along with measures of empathy and similarity, in a longitudinal study of mentoring between cadet squad leaders (n = 96) and squad members (n = 968). Factor analyses revealed a three-factor solution of mentee identification with the mentor, measuring identification, empathy, and similarity. The analyses yielded a four-factor solution of mentor identification with the mentee, measuring two forms of identification, self-image, and empathy. The findings encourage future research to employ these measures for exploring identification’s role in mentoring relationships.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

This study developed survey questions that researchers can use to measure how much mentors identify with their mentees and mentees identify with their mentors. Researchers of mentoring believe that identification is critical to the development of mentoring relationships. The questions developed in this study can help future researchers test whether a relationship between identification and mentoring exists.

KEYWORDS:

• Mentoring relationships
• peer mentoring
• identification
• theories of the self
• psychometrics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Public Significance Statement

This study developed survey questions that researchers can use to measure how much mentors identify with their mentees and mentees identify with their mentors. Researchers of mentoring believe that identification is critical to the development of mentoring relationships. The questions developed in this study can help future researchers test whether a relationship between identification and mentoring exists.

Notes

¹ At the time of this study, Cadet Field Training (CFT) lasted eight weeks. Currently, CFT last four weeks, as the service academy has moved some training from CFT to the four-week Cadet Leader Development Training, which typically takes place during the summer of a cadet’s junior year.

² The researchers did not receive complete demographic data on 29 of the mentors. However, each of the 96 mentors responded to the Mentor Identification with Mentee measure for each of his or her 8–12 assigned mentees.