MEASURING ACCULTURATION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT: THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN ACCULTURATION SCALE

Authors

  • Kimera Pillay University of the Witwatersrand
  • Sumaya Laher University of the Witwatersrand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/1812-6371/1786

Keywords:

Acculturation, South African Acculturation Scale, reliability, validity

Abstract

Acculturation is often cited in South African research as an explanation for various phenomena. Researchers often cite the examination of acculturation as a recommendation for further research. To date there has been very little research in the South African context that empirically examines acculturation. This study explored the internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the South African Acculturation Scale (SAAS) in a nonprobability, convenience sample of 392 individuals in Johannesburg. The SAAS is a 22 item scale that has a Likert-type response format ranging from ‘Strongly Agree’ (5) to ‘Strongly Disagree’ (1). From the results it was evident that some of the items on the SAAS were problematic and needed to be removed to ensure that the scale was psychometrically sound. The revised SAAS yielded better reliability coefficients for this sample.

References

Berry. J. W., Poortinga. Y. H., Segall. M. H., & Dasen. P. R. (2002). Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications (2nd Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Celenk, O. & van de Vijver, F. (2011). Assessment of acculturation: Issues and overview of measures. Online readings in Psychology and Culture, 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.9707/2307- 0919.1105 DOI: https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1105

Keefe, S., & Padilla, A. M. (1987). Chicano ethnicity. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.

Kline, P. (1994). An easy guide to factor analysis. London: Routledge.

Kramers, A. L. (2000). Acculturation and disordered eating: An exploration of disordered eating practices across cultures. (Unpublished master’s thesis). University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.

Lee, H. (2005). Mass media usage pattern and acculturation processed of Koreans living in Kentucky. Global Media Journal, 4(7), 30-44.

Marino, C.D.R., Stuart, G.W., Klimides, S. & Minas, H. (2011). Quantitative measures of acculturation: A review, School of Health, University of New England, Australia.

Ourasse, O. A. (2003). What Immigration does to young people: the psychological acculturation of Moroccans in the Netherlands. Rozenberg Publishers.

Padilla, A. M., & Peres, W. (2003). Acculturation, social identity, and social cognition: a new perspective. Hispanic Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 25(1), 35-55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986303251694

Ryder, A. G., Alden, E., & Paulhus, D. L. (2000). Is acculturation undimensional or bidimensional? A head-to-head comparison in the prediction of personality, self-identity, and adjustment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(1), 49-65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.1.49

Schwartz, S.J., Unger, J.B. & Szapocznik, J. (2010). Rethinking the concept of acculturation: Implications for theory and research. American Psychologist, 65(4), 237-251. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019330

Downloads

Published

2016-10-25

How to Cite

Pillay, Kimera, and Sumaya Laher. 2015. “MEASURING ACCULTURATION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT: THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN ACCULTURATION SCALE”. New Voices in Psychology 11 (1):4-16. https://doi.org/10.25159/1812-6371/1786.

Issue

Section

Articles