Effects of Qualitative Interview Participation on Muslim American Identity Integration: A Mixed-Method Investigation

Participation in research studies about one’s identity has been found to act as a form of counseling intervention. This mixed-method convergent parallel design study sought to examine whether participating in a 45-minute one-on-one semi-structured interview on Muslim American identity integration affected participants’ views of their identity one year later. Participants included 29 ethnically diverse second-generation Muslim Americans residing in the U.S. Midwest who were retained at one-year follow-up from a semi-structured identity interview of 53 participants. Participants completed a survey with measures of identity, identity integration, and open-ended questions inquiring how the study influenced them. Descriptive quantitative analyses and thematic analysis of qualitative data were used to examine the participants’ perceptions of the interview. Qualitative responses displayed five themes (Self-Understanding and Reflection, Affirmation, Connecting With In-Group, “Normal” Conversation Topic, and No Change) aligning with the three primary domains incorporated in ethnic identity development. The blendedness of the participants’ Muslim and American identities, American centrality, and participants’ self-reported positive private regard toward their American identity were lower at Time 2 compared to Time 1. More research is needed regarding the influence of participating in identity-based mixed-methods studies on Muslim American identity formation.