Paralleling the results from previous studies of acculturation (e.g., Matin
et al., 1987; Szapocznik et al., 1978; Triandis, Kashima, Hui, Lisansky, & Matin,
1982), we expected psychological acculturation scores to be higher among
respondents with greater exposure to the new culture (i.e., Anglo-American
culture) and greater exposure to English during childhood. Similarly, we
predicted that respondents' language preferences for completing the
questionnaires would be associated with their psychological acculturation
scores, such that those who chose the Spanish version would tend to have lower
psychological acculturation scores than those who chose the English version.
Finally, we also predicted that psychological acculturation scores would be
better predictors of individuals' cultural behaviors and preferences than would
their degree of exposure to the new culture. Three studies were conducted to
document the psychometric properties of the PAS. Study 1 The first study was
designed to examine internal consistency and cross-language equivalence with
respect to respondents' scores on the PAS. Method SAMPLE AND PROCEDURES
Respondents were recruited through community centers and neighborhood contacts
in several districts within the greater Boston area. Respondents received $10
for their participation, which consisted of completing a questionnaire.
Participants in this study were 36 self-identified bilingual Latinos (10 men and
26 women). Respondents' ages ranged from 13 to 58 years (M = 28.6 years). Of the
respondents, 13 were born on the mainland of the United States and all others
were born in Puerto Rico, Mexico, or other Spanish-speaking countries in Central
and South America. Percentage of lifetime in the United States was calculated by
dividing the number of years living in the U.S. mainland by the age of the
respondent (an index previously used in research by Marin et al. [1987] and
Triandis et al. [1982]). Respondents' percentage of lifetime in the United
States ranged from 4% to 100% (M = 75.2%).
All respondents responded to both Spanish and English versions of the
questionnaire. Spanish and English versions were presented to each respondent in
a random order. MEASURE Psychological Acculturation Scale. The PAS consists of
10 items concerning individuals' psychological responses to differing cultural
contexts (see Table 1). Item wordings for the PAS were generated simultaneously
in Spanish and English by a team of bilingual, bicultural, and monocultural
researchers. No items were included in the scale which could not be directly and
easily expressed with parallel wording in both languages. Subsequently, all
potential items were discussed in focus groups of Spanish/ English bilingual
adolescents and adults drawn in the greater Boston area. Items were continuously
reworded, as suggested by feedback from successive focus groups and discussions
among members of the research team. Altogether, six focus groups were conducted,
at which time both focus group participants and research team members were
satisfied with item wordings and felt no further revisions were necessary. A
readability analysis was conducted for items on the English version of the PAS,
using the Microsoft Word 5.0 grammar program (no Spanish grammar program was
available). The Flesch estimate of reading ease (74.7%) indicated that the
English version of the PAS is fairly readable, corresponding with a Grade 6 to 7
reading level. Item responses for the PAS were scored on a 9-point Likert-type
scale, ranging from 1 (only Hispanic/Latino) to 9 (only Anglo/American), with a
bicultural orientation defining its midpoint. Thus, a bicultural orientation
(equally Hispanic/Latino and Anglo/American) could be defined as a parallel
sense of connection to both cultures (Cuellar et al., 1980). In addition, items
regarding migration history, language use, and other demographic variables were
included in the questionnaires distributed to each respondent. Results
CROSS-LANGUAGE EQUIVALENCE On a 9-point scale, mean PAS scores were 4.37 (SD =
.86) and 4.42 (SD -1.06) for the Spanish and English versions, respectively.
Means and standard deviations for the Spanish and English versions of scale
items are provided in Table 1.
Mean item scores were nearly identical for each language version, showing a
high degree of consistency in respondents' scores across the Spanish and English
versions. The correlation between individuals' total PAS scores from the Spanish
and English versions was also extremely high, r(35) = .94, suggesting a high
degree of cross-language measurement equivalence. Individual Spanish/ English
version item-to-item correlations ranged from .70 to .92, with the exception of
two: (a) In what culture(s) do you feel confident that you know how to act?
r(36) = .37; and (b) In what culture(s) do you know what is expected of a person
in various situations? r(36) = .64. INTERNAL CONSISTENCY Alpha coefficients of
reliability for scores on the Spanish and English versions of the PAS were .83
and .85, respectively. Item total correlations ranged from .22 and .68 for
scores on the Spanish version and from .27 and .71 for the English version,
indicating highly similar patterns of item total correlations across
individuals' responses to the two versions. Study 2 The results from the first
study indicated that scores on each language version of the PAS were internally
consistent and that individuals' responses to the PAS were highly comparable
across the two language versions. Still, much research on Latinos has been
criticized for treating members of different Latino subgroups as part of one
homogeneous population (Marin & VanOss Marin, 1991). Therefore, a second study
was designed to examine psychometric properties of the PAS within a more
specific subgroup of Latino respondents. To date, most acculturation measures
have been validated using Mexican American respondents. In this study, Puerto
Rican respondents were used for two reasons: (a) Puerto Ricans tend to be
underrepresented in validation studies of acculturation measures, and (b) Puerto
Ricans are the largest Latino subgroup in the northeast region of the United
States.
