Adaptation and Validation of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) to the Ethiopian National Identity Measure

Abstract

This study aimed to adapt the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) to the Ethiopian national identity measure and validate the psychometric properties of the Amharic version. Senior students (n = 343) in the undergraduate programs of Dire Dawa and Wollo universities participated in the study. We employed the lottery method of random sampling to select the participants. We examined factor structure, model fit, reliability, and construct validity. The results of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) showed that the national identity construct has a two–factor structure: commitment and exploration. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that all the observed variables were significantly represented by their latent variables and that good model fit was attained  All the standardized factor loadings were found to be significant at p < .001 and ranged from .70 to .92, suggesting a large effect size. The squared multiple correlations were also found to range from .51 to .85. This means that the explained variance ranged from 51% to 85%. The internal consistency reliability of the constructs was α = .933 and .931. The average variance extracted (AVE) values of the two factors were found to be .64 and .70, indicating convergent validity. The square roots of the AVE were .80 and .83, confirming the discriminant validity of the measurement model. The overall results of the study demonstrated that the MEIM in its Amharic version is reliable and valid enough to measure Ethiopian national identity among public university students.