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Identity & Self

The Spectrum of Self Assessment

The arc of your self

~10 min ยท 36 questions

What it measures

Pride measures your relationship with your identity: how clearly you know yourself, how closely what you show matches who you are inside, and whether your identity feels settled or still forming.

How well do you know yourself, and how honestly do you show it?

Why it matters

Your sense of self affects how you make decisions, connect with others, and navigate change. Clear self-knowledge tends to bring faster, more confident decisions. Authentic self-expression tends to build deeper relationships. A settled identity tends to feel more grounded when life shifts.

Pride is the courage to be who you are openly. The quiet confidence that comes from knowing yourself and choosing to show that self honestly. The assessment measures four parts of that: knowing, showing, claiming, and being seen.

Measured dimensions

Each assessment is built from smaller dimensions that together produce the final result.

Identity Clarity

How clearly and confidently you know your own values, attributes, and preferences. Separate from whether you like what you see.

Self-Alignment

How closely what you show matches who you are inside. Same person in public and private, or different sides in different rooms.

Commitment

Whether your identity feels claimed. 'This is who I am.' Or still forming.

Theoretical foundations

Each dimension draws from published, peer-reviewed psychology research.

Campbell et al. (1996), Self-Concept Clarity Scale

Core anchor for Identity Clarity. A single, stable dimension distinct from self-esteem.

Kernis & Goldman (2006), Multicomponent Authenticity

Four-component model: awareness, unbiased processing, behavior, relational openness.

Wood et al. (2008), Authenticity Scale

Three factors: authentic living, self-alienation, accepting external influence.

Marcia (1966), Identity Statuses

The commitment-vs-exploration dimension. Whether identity is claimed or still being worked out.

Vazire (2010), Self-Other Knowledge Asymmetry

Others sometimes see us more clearly than we see ourselves. Grounds the visibility concept.

How the assessment works

0132 questions place you on two continuous scales using a 7-point bipolar format. Two opposing statements per item.
024 additional questions ask whether your identity feels claimed or still forming, same format.
03Three scores: Identity Clarity and Self-Alignment (each 0โ€“100), plus a Commitment label (committed, exploring, or open).
04Your position on the clarity-alignment plane picks one of four modes. Commitment sits alongside as a modifier.

How results are generated

+Clarity and Self-Alignment are scored from their underlying dimensions and placed on the plane.

+The combination selects your mode: clear + aligned = Beacon, clear + adaptive = Prism, exploring + aligned = Ember, exploring + adaptive = Aurora.

+Commitment is reported alongside: committed, exploring, or open.

Result outcomes

Each result has a detailed explanation of what the label means and how to interpret it.

The Beacon

Knows and shows. Little gap between the inner and outer self.

You know yourself clearly and show yourself honestly. What people see is close to what's actually there.

How to read it. This is about alignment between your inner self and what you show. The work isn't becoming more visible at all costs. It's choosing the contexts where that clarity helps.

What makes it different. Compared to the Prism, you adapt your presentation less. Compared to the Ember, your sense of self is more settled.

The Prism

Knows clearly but presents differently depending on context.

You know yourself clearly, but you change how you present depending on the context. Your inner sense stays stable while what you show shifts.

How to read it. Clarity without constant visibility can be maturity, privacy, or protection. Notice whether your adaptations feel deliberate or automatic.

What makes it different. You share the Beacon's clarity, but not their direct visibility. Unlike the Aurora, your inner self stays defined even when your expression varies.

The Ember

Still forming, but what shows is genuine.

You're still figuring out who you are. But what you do show tends to be genuine. The picture isn't finished, and it's honest.

How to read it. You don't need a finished identity to be authentic. Being honest about an unfinished one is its own kind of clarity.

What makes it different. You share the Beacon's openness, but not their settled sense of self. Unlike the Aurora, what you show stays fairly direct even while you're exploring.

The Aurora

Fluid inside and out. Self shifts with context.

Both your sense of self and how you present it shift with context. You may feel fluid, responsive, and hard to reduce to one fixed description.

How to read it. This isn't a flaw. It can describe someone in transition or someone whose selfhood is genuinely plural. Notice whether the movement feels chosen.

What makes it different. Unlike the Prism, your inner self moves too, not just your presentation. Unlike the Ember, what you show also shifts more across contexts.

How to interpret your result

Your mode describes the relationship between knowing yourself and showing yourself. A Beacon isn't a higher rank than an Aurora. Each represents a different way of navigating the space between inner and outer.

Tips for reflection

  • +Commitment says something about trajectory, not quality. 'Exploring' is not worse than 'committed.'
  • +High Clarity with low Authenticity means you might know yourself well but hold back from showing it.
  • +Identity shifts over time. Retake this after a major transition and the picture may look different.

Ready to take Pride?

~10 min ยท 36 questions

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