自我同一性の問題について,自我同一性地位という操作的概念を提出しているMarcia, J. E.の手法を検討した結果,日本では以下の修正が必要であった。 (1)面接内容の修正:宗教の領域を廃止し,代わりに価値観の領域を設置した。評定結果からみて,自我同一性の達成にとっては,職業と価値観が重要な意味をもつ領域であり,政治の領域はあまり意味をもたない場合が多い。従って,価値観の領域を設けたことによって,その個人の自我同一性の問題への解決の核心的部分に迫ることができたと考えられる。 (2)評定方法の修正:(1)基準の評定;危機を程度によって4段階評定する。傾倒は,程度によっ評定するのを原則とするが,傾倒が欠如しているものの評定については,欠如の仕方の様相によって3つに分け,そのいずれかに評定する。そのうち,傾倒しないことに傾倒していてあらゆることを可能なままにしておこうとしているものによって,同一性拡散の新しい下位地位が示唆された。(2)自我同一性地位の評定;第1に,政治の領域の早期完了については,明確な能動的選択の時期を経ずに,ある見解を自分のものであると明言してそれに安住しているという点を評定のポイントとした。第2に,領域毎の自我同一性地位には,必要なものには副評定をつけることとした。これによって,全体的同一地位が単純合計として決定しやすくなり,評定の根拠がより明確になったという点で,有意義である。 これらの修正・改善に基づいて,『自我同一性地位面接』とその計定のためのマニュアルを新たに作成したことによって,この枠組みの日本での適用を可能にした。 さらに,背景的情報や価値観の内容との対応から,この評定の妥当性が示唆された。 以上述べたように,Marciaの操作的枠組みを用い,さらにそれを改善したことによって,自我同一性の重要な問題にアプローチできた。即ち,自我同一性の達成の程度一般というようなものではなく,危機への対処の仕方そのものの分析を可能にしたといえよう。

Problem and Purpose: Adolescence is recognized, since E. H. Erikson's monumental works, as a period when an individual searches for his ego identity. Though the concept of ego identity is essential for the research on life cycle, it is very difficult to study it empirically. On the basis of Erikson's theory, J. E. Marcia constructed a categorization system about the ways of coping with the problem of ego identity. He devised a semi-structured interview concerning three areas of occupation, religion, and politics. The interview was to be rated with two criteria, presence or absence of crisis snd commitment. There are four Ego Identity Statuses-Identity Achievement, Moratorium, Foreclosure, and Identity Diffusion. Marcia's Ego Identity Status Interview should be highly estimated, because it supplies a method to study ego identity operationally, and also shows various styles of resolution of the problem of ego identity. This study aimed at applying Marcia's method to the Japancse through modifying and improving the interview items and the rating systems, and to develop it methodologically. Its second purpose was to probe the tendency of the Japanese male university students' ego identity. Method: Interview I: The translated version of Marcia's Ego Identity Status Interview was administered to 12 male university students. As a result, following modifications were needed. First, instead of religious area, an area of values was adopted. Second, in order to make less impressionistic ratings, each of the two criteria was rated on a 4-point scale. Third, sud-rating was done to reflect a delicate nuance of ego identity status in each area. Interviw II: Interviewees of this modified interview were 66 male university students. Some difficulties of rating led to further modificatios such as follows. First, Foreclosures in the political area was redifined, because of the non-political attitudes of most of the Japanese parens. That is, it was more important to declare a viewpoint as one's own without an experience of active choice period and also without a clear awareness, rather than to inherit parental goals. Second, in Identity Diffusion, besides the criterion of whether or not abolescent had the problem, it was suggested that there were some phases of commitment to noncommitment for some people. One of these was referred as "Protean Diffusion". Results; Three cases, which are difficult to rate, were omitted because they were too few in number to set up a distinct sub-status. There were 29 Identity Achievements, 20 Foreclosures, 10 Identity Diffusions, and 4 moratoriums. A clear consistency existed between the ratings of overall ego identity statuses and the ones of ego ldentity status in each area. And the greatest one was found between overall statuses and statuses in values. The interviewees engaged most actively in self-search when questioned about values. So the area of values was regarded as the most meaningful area. This area also contained the religious one, so the establishment of value area could be thought of as an improvement. The sub-ratings, added to the main ratings of ego identity statuses of areas when necessary, made the ratings of overall ego identity statuses easier and more accurate. The reliability according to the inter-judge agreement was a high 90%. In accordance with background informations and content analyses of values the validity of the rating system was meaningful. Based on these modifications, "Ego Identity Status Interview and its rating method became applicable to Japan after being methodologically developed.