What is Assessed

What is assessed by ISA

ISA assesses features of identity that are not readily accessible by traditional methods in an integrated assessment, such as:

Appraisal of the social world

The person's extent of identification with other people, agents, institutions, icons, etc. Appraisal of the significance of others to the individual and their attributes, whether facilitative or detrimental - e.g., determination of role ambivalence . (ISA parameters: 'ego-involvement with another'; 'evaluation of another', 'ambivalence');

Conflicted identifications

Problematic identification conflicts with such others. Problematic issues of the person's identity - being like the other, while wanting to dissociate from some features of the other - such as in role conflict. (ISA parameter: 'conflicted identification with another');

Symbolic representations of significant matters

The symbolic function that some other person, icon, or emblem might represent within the individual's identity structure. Discovering whether some other agent functions for the individual as 'standing in' symbolically for another who had a formidable influence on the individual's biography. (ISA parameter: index assessing the 'split in appraisal between one agent and another');

Personalised stress

Aspects of stress that are due to the person's manner of appraising circumstances in a personal way. Discovering the issues over which the person is particularly liable to experience stress and uncertainty, and vacillate between alternative stances (unreliable decision-making). (ISA parameter: 'structural pressure on a construct' when low, indicating a conflicted evaluative dimension of identity, as when 'emotional significance of the construct' is considerable);

Contending with stress

The person's preferred modes of contending with stress. Determining whether these may or may not be effective. (ISA parameter: 'structural pressure on a construct' when high, indicating a core and rigid evaluative dimension of identity, as when 'emotional significance of the construct' is considerable);

Progressive and anti-developmental orientations

Whether the person's orientation to life is developmentally progressive or anti-developmental, that is, effectively progressing towards aspirations that reflect progressive development, or harking back to an earlier more congenial state of greater childlike certainties. (ISA parameter: 'current self-evaluation in a particular context' compared with 'past self-evaluation also in context');

Unstable and disparate mood states

Contrasting and changeable mood states according to prevailing contexts. Detection of unstable and disparate mood states according to context - detection of vulnerability to mood states that are detrimental to achieving progressive aspirations. (ISA parameter: 'self-evaluation' and 'identity diffusion' according to different contexts and mood states);

Defensive or over-responsive orientations

Defensiveness or openness towards others. Determining the balance between ignoring the experience, skills and knowledge of others, and being gullible and over-responsive towards suggestions by others. (ISA parameter: 'identity diffusion', defensiveness being indicated by very low diffusion, and over-responsiveness by very high diffusion).