Abstract
The purpose of this study was to empirically test Lang and Fowers’ (2019) shared identity theory, which addresses the limitations of the caregiving literature by explicitly moving beyond individualistic and instrumental ways to conceptualize the Alzheimer’s caregiving relationship. This theory highlights the inherent value of the relationship between care partners (shared identity) and how their shared identity relates to caregiver burden and exemplary care, mediated by caregivers’ motivations to provide care (intrinsic and extrinsic). The present study tested shared identity theory using structural equation modeling in a national sample of 263 informal dementia caregivers. A bifactor measurement model provided support for the general factor of Shared Identity and two domain-specific factors (Collective Identity and Shared Goals). A subsequent structural model indicated that shared identity had a significant positive relationship with exemplary care and intrinsic motives, a negative relationship with burden, and did not significantly relate to extrinsic motives. Contrary to hypotheses, burden was positively related to exemplary care; intrinsic motivation was positively related to burden and negatively related to exemplary care; and extrinsic motivation was not significantly related to caregiving outcomes in the structural model. Intrinsic motivation mediated the relationship between shared identity and the outcome variables, while extrinsic motivation did not. The motivational variables did not fit the hypothesized model because the relationships between shared identity and the caregiving outcomes were too strong. Post hoc analyses without shared identity revealed that motivational variables related to caregiving outcomes as expected. Limitations, clinical implications, and future directions for research are discussed.