Scale development and factor analysis of the moral–civic identity scale in adolescents and emerging adults from Germany and German-speaking Switzerland

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are key periods for consolidating value-based identities that motivate civic life. We introduce the Moral–Civic Identity (German original: moralisch demokratische Identität ; MDI) Scale, a brief instrument that assesses the internalized centrality of moral and civic traits in the self-concept. Data came from 1149 adolescents and emerging adults (16–27 years) residing in Germany or the German-speaking part of Switzerland, who were recruited through a professional online panel provider. Participants completed 27 trait items (9 moral, 9 civic; 9 distractors). Initial confirmatory factor analyses compared a one-factor model, a correlated two-factor model (moral, civic), a higher-order model, and a bifactor model. Subsequent data-informed item-reduction analyses yielded a 14-item correlated two-factor solution (7 moral; 7 civic) that provided the most parsimonious and theoretically coherent representation in this present sample. The subscales showed adequate reliability, and moral and civic identity were strongly related yet distinct. Multi-group CFA supported full invariance across residence (Germany vs. German-speaking Switzerland) and configural–scalar invariance across gender. The MDI offers a short and openly available tool for research and evaluation, with initial evidence supporting its use in Germany and the German-speaking part of Switzerland.