Document Type (Journals)
Original Research
Abstract
Grounded professional identity is needed for individuals to function successfully within their professions. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a new instrument intended to measure the professional identity of graduate students. Within a recursive methodological design, we developed a 71-item Professional Identity Building Scale (PIBS) based on a new conceptualized combination of Baxter Magolda’s Epistemological Reflection Model phases and Villanueava and Nadelson’s dimensions of professional identity. We pilot tested 129 occupational therapy graduate students at two sites in two states, adjusted the instrument and then retested the PIBS with data from 347 respondents in the same contexts. The PIBS showed a strong pattern of validation in graduate students with consideration for items and intended constructs, year in study, level of degree, and location of study. The results reflect the usefulness of the conceptualization of the phases of self-authorship living within the individual, social, and systemic dimensions of professional identity. The PIBS provides for a more robust and efficient way to measure professional identity over time. More testing is needed for ongoing validation across time, with different programs, among diverse professions, and with consideration for identities of individuals.
Biography
Anne M. Haskins, PhD, OTR/L is Professor at the Occupational Therapy Program, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA. Email: [email protected]
Sarah Nielsen, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA is a Professor at the Occupational Therapy Program, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA. Email: [email protected]
Nicole C. Harris, EdD, OTR/L is an Associate Professor at the Occupational Therapy Program, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA. Email: [email protected]
Adrienne M. Salentiny, PhD is the director of Instructional Design and Technology at Education Resources and an Assistant Professor of Population Health, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA. Email: [email protected]
Marilyn G. Klug, PhD is a Professor Emeritus in Population Health, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA. Email: [email protected]
Declaration of Interest
The authors report no declarations of interest.
Recommended Citation
Haskins, A. M., Nielsen, S., Harris, N. C., Salentiny, A. M., & Klug, M. G. (2026). Professional Identity Building Scale (PIBS) Development: Measuring Self-Authorship and Dimensions of Professional Identity in Graduate Students. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 10 (4). Retrieved from https://encompass.eku.edu/jote/vol10/iss4/12
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