Stepping Outside the Lines: Developing a Multi-dimensional Team Identity Scale Based on Social Identity Theory

Within the realm of sport management, team identification, a type of group identity, has been examined as a uni-dimensional construct (Wann & Branscombe, 1993). Research in social psychology, however, has examined group identity as a multi-dimensional concept. The current study examined team identity as a multi-dimensional construct. The TEAM*ID scale was developed based on the work of Ashmore, Deaux, and McLaughlin-Volpe (2004). Initial tests of reliability and validity of the proposed scale were completed based on a pilot study and feedback from an expert panel. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on data collected from undergraduate students at a large South Eastern university (N=311) to test the group identity constructs. Six dimensions (Public evaluation, Private evaluation, Interconnection of Self, Sense of Interdependence, Behavioural Involvement, and Cognitive Awareness) were retained from the analysis. A comparison of the TEAM*ID scale with a portion of the Collective Self-Esteem Scale (Luhtanen & Crocker, 1992) and a revised version of the Psychological Commitment to Team Scale (Mahony, Madrigal, & Howard, 2000) provided initial evidence of nomological validity.