Continued Refinements of Identity Salience: A Multidimensional Specification

Abstract

In identity theory, identity salience refers to the probability that an identity will be invoked (e.g., “called up” or activated) across situations. In this article, we suggest there are many ways to invoke an identity, ultimately arguing that the multiplicity of salience operationalizations across decades of literature is valid because these operationalizations capture different identity activation methods. This leads us to theoretically reframe salience as an overarching concept that encompasses multiple methods of identity activation, including external and internal invocation. We empirically test this idea by estimating a second-order latent construct measurement model of salience. We use secondary data from the Religion and Identity data set to test a specification composed of first-order latent “tell,”“do,” and “think” constructs among 1,388 religious U.S. adults. Results support the multidimensional specification, outperforming alternative models even when other key identity concepts (i.e., prominence and role-specific authenticity) are included. This work adds to the decades-long effort to adequately translate the salience concept into empirical measurement, further aiding future analyses and data collection efforts.