Identity Prominence and Dominance

Abstract

The Identity Prominence and Dominance Scale is a psychological instrument developed by Tracy Nai Kwang in 2012 to measure the relative salience and influence of an individual’s identity compared to their partner’s identity within a close relationship. This scale is fundamental for researchers examining self-concept maintenance and identity negotiation in romantic partnerships.

The instrument operationalizes two critical dimensions: the perceived visibility or importance of one’s identity (Identity Prominence) and the active behavioral attempts to conform or influence (Identity Influence or Dominance). The resulting score provides a bipolar measure of the degree of self-dominance versus partner dominance, shedding light on the complexities of identity merger dynamics.

Keywords

Identity Prominence, Identity Dominance, Identity Influence, Identity Merger, Close Relationships, Self-Concept, Relationship Dynamics, Tracy Nai Kwang, Interdependence.

Authors

Tracy Nai Kwang.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the instrument is to quantify the asymmetrical dynamics of self and partner identities within intimate bonds. It aims to empirically distinguish between the subjective experience of one’s identity being more salient (prominence) and the behavioral process of one partner attempting to conform to or influence the other (influence/dominance). This quantification is essential for understanding how individuals navigate the maintenance of their personal identity while simultaneously forming a shared “we” identity.

By using a single, continuous metric, the scale allows researchers to precisely locate where an individual falls on the continuum of relationship identity structure—from high self-dominance to high partner dominance—thereby facilitating more nuanced studies of relationship satisfaction and stability related to identity dynamics.

Construct

The scale measures two key, yet distinct, constructs related to relationship identity structure: Identity Prominence and Identity Influence (often used interchangeably with Dominance in this context). These constructs are rooted in theories of self-expansion and identity merger, which posit that individuals in close relationships often integrate the partner’s characteristics into their own self-concept.

Identity Prominence captures the perceptual aspect—the extent to which the respondent feels their core identity is the most visible, remembered, or central feature of the relationship. Identity Influence, conversely, focuses on the behavioral and motivational dimension, assessing the efforts made by the self or the partner to adjust or control the identity presentation within the relationship dynamic.

Validity

While comprehensive psychometric reports outside the original doctoral work may be limited, evidence for the scale’s construct validity was established in the 2012 dissertation by Kwang. The scale demonstrated expected theoretical relationships with established measures of relationship functioning, including relationship satisfaction, commitment levels, and measures of self-concept clarity. The distinction between the Prominence and Influence subscales further supports discriminant validity, confirming that the instrument measures unique facets of relationship identity separate from general relationship quality.

Reliability

In the initial development phase, the internal consistency of the Identity Prominence and Identity Influence subscales was evaluated. Standard measures, such as Cronbach’s alpha, were used to confirm that the items within each subscale reliably measured the intended construct. The findings reported in the dissertation indicated acceptable to good reliability scores, suggesting that the items are cohesive. Further research is warranted to assess the scale’s long-term stability using test-retest procedures.

Factor Analysis

The scale is fundamentally designed around a two-factor model: Identity Prominence and Identity Influence. The underlying factor analysis (presumably Exploratory and/or Confirmatory Factor Analysis performed during Kwang’s doctoral research) supports this structure, confirming that the items load distinctly onto their respective factors. This structural validation is crucial, as it provides statistical evidence for the theoretical separation between the perceptual salience of identity (Prominence) and the active behavioral dynamics of identity adjustment (Influence/Dominance).

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale.

Format: The instrument consists of two subscales totaling 14 items, administered via a self-report format.

Language Available: English (Original development language).

Population Group: Individuals currently engaged in close relationships (e.g., romantic partners, married couples).

Age Group: Adult (typically utilized with university student samples and general adult populations).

Population Details: Developed and validated using samples of young adults in committed romantic relationships in the United States.

Test Methodology: The scale uses a 7-point Likert scale. The scoring is bipolar, designed such that the central point (4) represents equality, while the endpoints are scored as -3 (indicating greater partner prominence/dominance) and +3 (indicating greater self-prominence/self-dominance). Responses are aggregated to yield a single score reflecting the directional balance of identity power.

Keywords

Psychometrics, Relationship Satisfaction, Self-Expansion Theory, Interdependence, Identity Negotiation, Likert Scale, Power Dynamics, Self-Dominance.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source (Affiliation at time of publication: University of Texas at Austin).

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed in 2012 as part of the doctoral dissertation, “Finding the ‘I’ in the ‘we’: Three modes of identity merger in close relationships,” by Tracy Nai Kwang. As the instrument is publicly available within the dissertation document, it is generally used for academic research with proper citation. Researchers should cite the original work. No specific usage fees are documented.

The original PDF containing the instrument and detailed methodology can be downloaded here: https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/ETD-UT-2012-05-5302/KWANG-DISSERTATION.pdf?sequence=1

Reference’s

1. Kwang, T. N. (2012). Finding the “I” in the “we”: Three modes of identity merger in close relationships. University of Texas at Austin. Doctoral Dissertation.

Items of the Identity Prominence and Dominance

Identity Prominence

1. My own identity is always the most prominent in our relationship.
2. My own identity is usually the most prominent in our relationship.
3. My own identity is occasionally the most prominent in our relationship.
4. My own identity and the identity of my partner share equal prominence in our relationship.
5. My partner’s identity is occasionally the most prominent in our relationship.
6. My partner’s identity is usually the most prominent in our relationship.
7. My partner’s identity is always the most prominent in our relationship.

Identity influence

1. I always try to be who my partner wants me to be
2. I usually try to be who my partner wants me to be
3. I occasionally try to be who my partner wants me to be
4. My partner and I equally take on each other’s identities
5. My partner occasionally tries to be who I want him or her to be
6. My partner usually tries to be who I want him or her to be
7. My partner always tries to be who I want him or her to be