Arnett (1994) introduced the Markers of Adulthood (MoA) scale to capture a generational shift in attitudes toward what it means to be an adult by measuring the importance of traditionally endorsed adulthood milestones. Since the scale was introduced, researchers have raised questions concerning the validity of the MoA scale’s items, particularly due to a consistent inability for the measure to produce reliable subscales.
We examined a collection of MoA items including those original to the scale as well as some edited and novel items to configure a revised MoA model that would better apply to a modern, diverse sample and produce subscales with higher reliability. The completed measure is intended for use in the Emerging Adulthood Measured at Multiple Institutions 3 (EAMMi3) international study of Emerging Adulthood.