Description

The Twenty Statements Test (TST) is an open-ended method for examining self-concept and personal identity. It was developed by Kuhn and McPartland in 1954 within the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism.

The test enables respondents to describe themselves in their own words without being restricted by predetermined categories or adjectives. It is primarily used as a qualitative or mixed-method research instrument rather than as a conventional psychometric scale producing a single total score.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the TST is to investigate how individuals perceive, define, and present themselves. Responses may reveal different dimensions of identity, including:

  • social and family roles,
  • occupational or educational identity,
  • demographic characteristics,
  • personality traits,
  • values and ideological beliefs,
  • interests, goals, and aspirations,
  • emotional states and self-evaluations.

The test primarily captures spontaneous self-concept: the self-related characteristics that are most immediately accessible and salient at the time of administration.

Administration

Respondents are asked to answer the question “Who am I?” up to 20 times, usually by completing statements beginning with “I am…”. Responses are recorded in the order in which they occur, without evaluating their correctness, importance, or social acceptability.

Completion of all 20 statements is not always mandatory. Nevertheless, the instructions, available time, and administration conditions should remain consistent across participants, particularly when comparisons between individuals or groups are planned.

Coding

The TST does not have a single universally accepted scoring system. Responses are systematically coded according to the objectives and theoretical framework of each study.

The original approach distinguishes between:

  • Consensual references: Self-descriptions referring to socially recognizable categories, such as “I am a mother,” “I am a student,” or “I am Greek.”
  • Subconsensual references: More personal or subjective descriptions, such as “I am optimistic,” “I am anxious,” or “I am creative.”

Alternative systems classify responses into social roles, demographic characteristics, personal attributes, values, beliefs, interests, emotions, and future goals. Statements may also be coded according to whether their evaluative tone is positive, negative, or neutral.

Data Analysis

Analysis may examine the number and proportion of responses assigned to each category, their sequence of appearance, and the frequency of particular forms of self-description.

Qualitative content analysis can be combined with quantitative techniques, including frequency comparisons, tests of independence, and regression models. The order of responses may reflect their cognitive accessibility or subjective importance, but it should not automatically be interpreted as an absolute hierarchy of identities.

Reliability and Validity

Because the TST generates open-ended responses, a clearly defined coding framework is essential. The use of at least two independent coders is recommended, together with an assessment of inter-rater agreement using an appropriate index, such as Cohen’s kappa.

Interpretation should consider participants’ age, gender, language, social position, and cultural background. The TST primarily captures immediately accessible self-descriptions and may not identify every stable or deeply considered aspect of identity. It is not a clinical diagnostic instrument and should be interpreted in conjunction with the research context and other sources of information.

Applications

The TST has been used in social, developmental, and cross-cultural psychology, as well as in sociology. It is particularly valuable for examining differences in self-concept across cultures, age groups, genders, occupational categories, and social groups.

It may also be used to investigate changes in identity following major life transitions, including adulthood, migration, occupational change, parenthood, or the assumption of new social roles.

References

Carpenter, S., & Meade-Pruitt, S. M. (2008). Does the Twenty Statements Test elicit self-concept aspects that are most descriptive? World Cultures eJournal, 16(1), 1–12.

Grace, S. L., & Cramer, K. L. (2003). The elusive nature of self-measurement: The self-construal scale versus the Twenty Statements Test. Journal of Social Psychology, 143(5), 649–668.

Kuhn, M. H., & McPartland, T. S. (1954). An empirical investigation of self-attitudes. American Sociological Review, 19(1), 68–76.

McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T., Jr. (1988). Age, personality, and the spontaneous self-concept. Journal of Gerontology, 43(6), S177–S185.

Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the self. Basic Books.