Identity Horizons of Finnish Higher Education Students 2015

This survey studied the identity, values, attitudes, experiences, and expectations of Finnish higher education students between 18 and 24 years of age. The themes of the survey included, among others, self-esteem, personality traits, and local and global identity. Most of the themes were studied using standardised measures. The survey was carried out as part of the international project "The role of identity horizons in education-to-work transitions - A cross-cultural study of students in higher education in Finland, Japan and Northern America". The project surveyed the identities and values of young people and their significance in the transition from higher education to work life. First, the respondents were asked about their regional identity (for example, whether they identified as Europeans, Finnish citizens, or cosmopolitans). Next, the respondents' identities were examined by charting their experiences and thoughts using the Identity Issues Inventory and Identity Resolution Index by James Côté. The respondents were presented with a set of attitudinal statements concerning, for example, self-confidence, social behaviour and roles, beliefs and values, perception of own skills, and adulthood. The respondents also responded to attitudinal statements from the MAPS20 Self-esteem scale (for example, whether the respondents perceived themselves as fun to be with and popular with persons their own age). The survey also carried a set of attitudinal statements that examined the respondents' identity by using the Identity Horizons Scale to chart, for example, career plans and opinions on additional education, and the Identity Styles Inventory (5th version) to chart beliefs, attitudes and ways of dealing with issues (for example, whether the respondents thought that it is better to have a firm set of beliefs than to be open-minded and whether the respondents waited as long as possible before making a decision). The next set of attitudinal statements surveyed the respondents' opinions on their ability to affect the future by their own actions (for example, whether the respondents thought that luck plays an important role in their life) using the Internal Locus of Control from the MAPS20. The respondents' views on their personality traits were surveyed with attitudinal statements from the Ten-item Personality Inventory concerning whether the respondents thought of themselves as, for example, critical and quarrelsome, dependable and self-disciplined, or sympathetic and warm. Additionally, the respondents were presented with attitudinal statements from the MAPS20 Purpose in Life Scale about the purpose and meaning in life (for example, whether life seemed exciting versus completely routine to the respondents and whether the respondents thought of themselves as irresponsible or responsible persons). The survey also carried a set of attitudinal questions from the Proactive Personality Scale concerning the extent to which the respondents took action to influence their environments (for example, whether the respondents were constantly trying to find ways to make their life better and whether the respondents thought they excel at identifying opportunities). The development of the respondents' identity was charted by using a set of attitudinal statements from the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale concerning the respondents' clarity on their plans for the future (for example, whether the respondents had plans for what they are going to do in the future and whether their future plans gave them self-confidence). Further statements from the MAPS20 Ego Strength surveyed the respondents' will power (for example, whether the respondents enjoyed difficult and challenging situations). Finally, the respondents were presented with Helena Helve's attitudinal statements concerning, among others, income distribution, disparity, internationalism, democracy, work ethics, equality, and environmental protection. Background variables included, among others, age, gender, country of citizenship, NUTS3 region, and the highest level of education of the respondent and the respondent's parents. The data are based on James Côté's comparative study on identity and the measures used in it (see Côté, J. E., Mizokami, S. Roberts, S. E., Nakama, R., Meca, A. and Schwartz, S .J. (2015) The Role of Identity Horizons in Education-to-Work Transitions: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study in Japan and the United States. Identity An International Journal of Theory and Research Volume 15, 2015 -Issue 4 (pp. 263-286)); and Helena Helve's study on values of young people (see Helve, H. (2013) From higher education to working life: work values of young Finns in changing labour markets. In Helve Helena, Evans Karen (eds.) Youth and work transitions in changing social landscapes. London and U.S.A.: Tufnell Press, pp. 119-137); and attitudinal statements in Helena Helve's study on the change of values (see Helve, H. 2002. Arvot, muutos ja nuoret. Yliopistopaino, University of Helsinki).

本调研针对18至24岁的芬兰高等教育学生的身份认同、价值观、态度、经历与期望展开研究。调研主题涵盖自尊、人格特质，以及地方与全球身份认同等，多数主题采用标准化测量工具进行考察。本调研作为国际项目“身份视野在教育到职场过渡中的作用——芬兰、日本与北美高等教育学生的跨文化研究”的一部分开展，该项目聚焦青年群体的身份认同与价值观，及其在高等教育向职场过渡过程中的意义。
首先，受访者被问及区域身份认同相关问题（例如，是否自视为欧洲人、芬兰公民或世界主义者）。随后，研究借助James Côté提出的身份议题量表（Identity Issues Inventory）与身份解决指数（Identity Resolution Index），通过梳理受访者的经历与想法，考察其身份认同状况。研究向受访者呈现了一系列态度陈述题，涉及自信、社会行为与角色、信念与价值观、自身技能感知以及成年身份等维度。受访者还完成了MAPS20自尊量表（MAPS20 Self-esteem scale）的相关题目，例如判断自身是否相处愉快、是否在同龄人中受欢迎。
本调研还包含一系列态度陈述题，借助身份视野量表（Identity Horizons Scale）考察受访者身份认同，用于梳理其职业规划与继续教育看法等内容；同时采用第五版身份风格量表（Identity Styles Inventory (5th version)），测量受访者的信念、态度与问题处理方式，例如受访者是否认为拥有坚定的信念比保持开放心态更可取，以及是否倾向于尽可能延后决策。
下一组态度陈述题借助MAPS20内在控制感量表（Internal Locus of Control），调研受访者对自身通过行动影响未来的能力的看法，例如是否认为运气在人生中扮演重要角色。受访者的人格特质认知则通过十项人格量表（Ten-item Personality Inventory）的态度陈述题进行考察，例如判断自身是否挑剔好争吵、可靠自律，或是富有同情心且待人温和。
此外，受访者还完成了MAPS20生命意义量表（MAPS20 Purpose in Life Scale）的态度陈述题，涉及生命的目标与意义，例如认为生活是充满激情还是一成不变，以及自视为不负责任还是负责任的人。本调研还包含来自主动人格量表（Proactive Personality Scale）的一系列态度问题，用于考察受访者影响自身所处环境的行动程度，例如是否持续寻求改善生活的方法，以及是否认为自己擅长识别机遇。
借助身份发展维度量表（Dimensions of Identity Development Scale）的一系列态度陈述题，研究梳理了受访者的身份认同发展情况，包括其对未来规划的清晰程度，例如是否拥有明确的未来计划，以及未来规划是否为自身带来自信。MAPS20自我力量量表（MAPS20 Ego Strength）的进一步陈述题则用于考察受访者的意志力，例如是否享受困难且富有挑战性的情境。
最后，受访者完成了Helena Helve编制的态度陈述题，涉及收入分配、贫富差距、国际主义、民主、职业道德、平等以及环境保护等议题。背景变量包括年龄、性别、公民身份国、NUTS3区域、受访者及其父母的最高受教育程度等。
本数据集的编制参考了James Côté关于身份认同的比较研究及其所用量表（详见Côté, J. E., Mizokami, S., Roberts, S. E., Nakama, R., Meca, A. and Schwartz, S .J. (2015) The Role of Identity Horizons in Education-to-Work Transitions: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study in Japan and the United States. *Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research*, Volume 15, 2015 - Issue 4, 第263-286页）；Helena Helve关于青年价值观的研究（详见Helve, H. (2013) From higher education to working life: work values of young Finns in changing labour markets. 收录于Helve Helena, Evans Karen (eds.) *Youth and work transitions in changing social landscapes*. 伦敦与美国：Tufnell Press, 第119-137页）；以及Helena Helve关于价值观变迁研究中的态度陈述题（详见Helve, H. 2002. Arvot, muutos ja nuoret. Yliopistopaino, University of Helsinki）。