The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM): Psychometric review and further validity testing

This article examines the psychometric strengths and limitations of a widely used measure of ethnic identity development: the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). A review of 12 studies incorporating the MEIM found its two subscales-Ethnic Identity (EI) and Other-Group Orientation (OGO)-to be relatively distinct, have satisfactory levels of internal consistency, and have moderate degrees of construct and criterion-related validity. The first confirmatory factor analysis (N= 219) of the MEIM is reported, the results of which indicate that a two-factor structure is a better fit than a global model but that the goodness of fit is mediocre. A follow-up exploratory factor analysis identified weaker items, and suggestions for possible MEIM revision are presented. Finally, the first formal readability analysis of the MEIM places item difficulty at the sixth- to seventh-grade level.