The Role of Identity Horizons in Education-to-Work Transitions: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study in Japan and the United States

Abstract

This article reports on the development and construct validation of the Identity Horizons Scales, an instrument based on the identity horizons model. Participants were postsecondary students aged 18–24 years from Japan (N = 505) and the United States (N = 546). Following exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, a three-factor scale had adequate configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance. Evidence for construct validity was also found. Cross-cultural validity assessments suggest that the new measure can be used in both cultural contexts, and for men and women in both contexts, but that the Japanese configuration of identity horizons is more nuanced than the U.S. pattern. Implications, limitations, and future directions for research using the Identity Horizons Scales in different cultural settings are discussed.

Notes

¹These mean differences were confirmed with an analysis of latent means (corrected for factor loadings and intercepts) in the structural equation measurement model. Constraining the means for all three factors to be equal between the two cultural groups resulted in a significant decline in fit (ΔCFI >.01). Additionally, constraining each subscale mean one at a time indicated that all means are significantly different in terms of the decline in fit.