Twenty Statements Test (TST)

Abstract

The Twenty Statement Test (TST), sometimes referred to as the Self-Attitudes Test, is a foundational semi-projective instrument in social psychology and sociology designed to investigate the structure and content of the individual’s self-concept. Developed by Manford H. Kuhn and Thomas S. McPartland, the test requires respondents to provide twenty distinct answers to the simple, open-ended prompt, “Who am I?” The resulting statements are then categorized and analyzed, often utilizing the framework of Symbolic Interactionism, to determine the salience of different identities, such as those based on social roles versus personal attributes.

Keywords

Twenty Statement Test, TST, Self-Attitudes Test, self-concept, identity, self-identity, Symbolic Interactionism, social roles, self-description, self-perception

Authors

Manford H. Kuhn, Thomas S. McPartland

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Twenty Statement Test is to empirically elicit and measure the components of an individual’s self-definition. It serves as a methodology for investigating how individuals perceive and categorize themselves in relation to the social structure. Researchers typically use the TST to explore the hierarchy of identities, determining which self-descriptions are most readily available and central to the individual’s sense of self. The instrument provides rich qualitative data that can be systematically coded into quantitative categories, allowing for the study of self-concept variation across different demographic groups, cultures, and social contexts.

The test is particularly valuable in research rooted in the Iowa School of Symbolic Interactionism, where the self is viewed as a product of social interaction. By analyzing the statements, researchers can distinguish between Consensual References (statements referring to objective, socially verified categories like “student” or “mother”) and Subconsensual References (statements referring to subjective, internal qualities like “happy” or “creative”). The proportion of these two types of statements offers insight into the degree to which an individual’s identity is anchored in stable, institutional roles versus fluid, personal attributes.

Construct

The TST measures the psychological construct of the Self-Concept, which encompasses the totality of an individual’s thoughts and feelings having reference to himself or herself as an object. More specifically, it operationalizes the concepts of Self-Identity and Self-Attitudes. The self-concept, as measured by the TST, is not viewed as a monolithic entity but rather as a collection of distinct, situationally relevant identities organized hierarchically.

The core assumption underlying the TST is that the order in which statements are listed reflects the saliency and centrality of those identities to the individual. Statements listed early are presumed to represent the most important or primary aspects of the self. By requiring twenty distinct answers, the TST forces the respondent beyond superficial or immediate descriptions, potentially revealing deeper, less conscious, or less frequently verbalized aspects of their self-perception.

Validity

The validity of the TST rests largely on its Construct Validity within the framework of Symbolic Interactionism. The utility of the TST is demonstrated by its consistent ability to differentiate groups based on the nature of their self-statements, correlating expected differences in social roles (e.g., age, profession, gender) with differences in the proportion of Consensual versus Subconsensual references.

Furthermore, various studies have established the Content Validity of the TST, confirming that the open-ended nature of the prompt effectively covers the broad domain of self-definition. Scoring systems, particularly the Kuhn-McPartland schema, provide a standardized method for classifying responses, which contributes to the instrument’s overall empirical rigor. However, its validity is highly dependent on the cultural context and the specific coding scheme employed by the researcher, necessitating careful adaptation and validation when used in non-Western populations.

Reliability

The assessment of reliability for the TST is complex due to its semi-projective, open-ended nature. Traditional measures of internal consistency (like Cronbach’s alpha) are not applicable. Instead, reliability is assessed through two main methods: Inter-Rater Reliability and Test-Retest Reliability.

• Inter-Rater Reliability: High levels of inter-rater reliability (often above 0.80) are consistently reported when trained coders apply established scoring schemas (such as the Consensual/Subconsensual distinction). This indicates that the classification of the resulting statements is stable and objective.
• Test-Retest Reliability: Test-retest reliability tends to be moderate to low over long periods (e.g., several months). This is not necessarily a weakness of the scale but rather a reflection of the construct itself; the self-concept and the saliency of specific identities are expected to change over time, especially during periods of significant life transition. Short-term test-retest reliability is generally adequate, particularly concerning the types of statements (Consensual vs. Subconsensual) generated.

Factor Analysis

While the TST does not lend itself to traditional factor analysis in the way standardized psychometric scales do, researchers frequently employ systematic coding and thematic analysis to identify underlying factors or dimensions within the self-statements. These analyses typically reveal several dominant categories of self-definition that function as empirical factors:

• Social Roles and Statuses: Statements pertaining to institutional positions (e.g., “husband,” “employee,” “American”). This category aligns closely with Consensual References.
• Personality Traits: Descriptions of internal psychological characteristics (e.g., “introverted,” “optimistic,” “moody”).
• Physical Characteristics: References to physical attributes (e.g., “tall,” “athletic,” “dark-haired”).
• Existential and Abstract Statements: References to philosophical or abstract concepts (e.g., “a human being,” “a soul,” “a seeker of truth”).

The quantitative analysis of these coded categories allows researchers to investigate the dimensionality of the self-concept, examining, for instance, whether social roles (often deemed the most stable identity dimension) dominate the initial responses.

Instrument

Test Type: Semi-Projective / Open-ended Self-Report

Format: Written response to a single, repeated prompt (“Who am I?”). Requires twenty statements.

Language Available: Primarily English, but widely translated and adapted for cross-cultural research globally.

Population Group: Used extensively in sociological and psychological research across various populations, including clinical, student, and general adult samples.

Age Group: Typically utilized with adolescents (14+) and adults.

Population Details: Originally developed using samples of college students at the State University of Iowa in the 1950s, but its applicability has since broadened significantly.

Test Methodology: Respondents are instructed to write twenty different answers to the question “Who am I?” in the order that they occur to them. The statements are then analyzed using content analysis and categorized according to established coding schemes, such as the Kuhn-McPartland Consensual/Subconsensual schema or other thematic taxonomies.

The original PDF instructions for the instrument can be found here: http://stelar.edc.org/sites/stelar.edc.org/files/Kuhn_TwentyStatementsTest.pdf. Further details on the measure are available in this PDF: https://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/infoserv/isrpub/pdf/Measuresofsocialpsychologicalattitudes_2928_.PDF

Keywords

self-concept measurement, social identity, self-schema, psychometric instrument, psychological scale, Consensual Reference, Subconsensual Reference

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material; requires external lookup.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence generally related to the Iowa School of Symbolic Interactionism (State University of Iowa).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Twenty Statement Test (TST) was initially published in 1954, making the core instrument and methodology part of the public domain for academic research. There are generally no fees associated with its use, though specific adaptations or copyrighted scoring manuals might incur costs. The primary publication year is 1954, based on the foundational work by Kuhn and McPartland.

Reference’s

• Kuhn‚ M. H. and McPartland‚ T. S. (1954). An empirical investigation of self-attitudes. American Sociological Review‚ 19(1)‚ 68-76.

• McPartland‚ T. S. (1953). The self and social structure: an empirical approach. Unpublished doctoral dissertation ‚ State University of Iowa.

• Kuhn‚ M. H. (1960). Self‐Attitudes by Age‚ Sex‚ and Professional Training. Sociological Quarterly‚ 1(1)‚ 39-54.

• Schwirian‚ K. P. (1964). Variation instructure of the Kuhn-McPartland twenty statements and related response differences‚ Sociological Quarterly‚ 5‚ 47-59.

• Robinson‚ John P.‚ Shaver‚ Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research‚ University of Michigan/. Ann Arbor‚ Michigan

Items of the Twenty Statement Test (TST)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Twenty Statement Test or Self- Attitudes Test

There are twenty numbered blanks on the page below. Please write twenty answers to the simple question “Who am I? in the blanks. Just give twenty different answers to this question.

1. _____________

2. _____________

………………….

20. ______________