Analysis of the Scale

The Deaf Identity Development Scale (DIDS) was created by N.S. Glickman in 1993 to include individuals with normal hearing and to examine how both hearing and deaf adults identify themselves. The DIDS is an instrument designed to measure four distinct deaf identities: hearing, marginal, immersion, and bicultural identity.

Purpose

The scale was developed to provide a deeper insight into the complexity of deaf identities. It offers a qualitative approach to the conventional distinction between deafness as a medical condition (culturally hearing) and deafness as a linguistic-cultural identity (community of sign language users), grounded in individuals’ everyday experiences.

Question Calibration

Participants respond to 47 statements, reflecting on their attitudes toward deaf individuals, even if they themselves are deaf. Responses are given on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree).

Statistical Analysis

The total score is the sum of responses to all items, ranging from 47 to 235. Higher scores indicate greater acceptance of deafness and stronger identification with deaf culture.

Validity and Evaluation

The DIDS has been adapted into Greek by Hadjikakou and Nikolaraizi, following a process of independent reverse translation. The scale’s findings were examined under the framework of deaf identity development theory. Data were analyzed for internal consistency reliability, item-scale reliability, and inter-scale correlations. Factor analysis supported the presence of four relatively independent deaf identity constructs.

Four separate ANOVA tests with multiple comparisons revealed that the degree and severity of hearing loss significantly affect the development of an individual’s deaf identity. Internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach’s α) for each subscale were as follows: hearing identity ranged from 0.86 to 0.81 upon retesting, marginal from 0.76 to 0.84, immersion from 0.83 to 0.87, and bicultural from 0.81 to 0.78. Notably, retesting slightly improved internal consistency for the marginal and immersion identities, while item reduction slightly decreased it for the hearing and bicultural identities.

References

Leigh, I. W., Allen, T. E., & Dobosh, P. (2014). Deaf/Hearing Cultural Identity Paradigms: Modification of the Deaf Identity Development Scale
Fischer, L., & McWhirter, J. J. The Deaf Identity Development Scale: A revision and validation

Tags: Deaf Identity Development Scale [DIDS], deaf identity, hearing, evaluation, questionnaire analysis