Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II (ARSMA-II)
Measures acculturation, cultural orientation, and marginality among Mexican Americans.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II (ARSMA-II) was developed by Israel Cuellar, Bill Arnold, & Roberto Maldonado (1995). It is designed to measure Acculturation and Marginality. The scale is intended for use with Mexican Americans (adults and adolescents).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 48 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Anglo Orientation Scale (AOS), Mexican Orientation Scale (MOS), Anglo Marginality (ANGMAR), Mexican Marginality (MEXMAR), Mexican American Marginality (MAMARG).
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Anglo Orientation Scale (AOS) | 2,4,7,9,10,13,15,16,19,23,25,27,30 | 13 |
| Mexican Orientation Scale (MOS) | 1,3,5,6,8,11,12,14,17,18,20,21,22,24,26,28,29 | 17 |
| Anglo Marginality (ANGMAR) | 31,32,33,34,35,36 | 6 |
| Mexican Marginality (MEXMAR) | 37,38,39,40,41,42 | 6 |
| Mexican American Marginality (MAMARG) | 43,44,45,46,47,48 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all, 2 = Very little or not very often, 3 = Moderately, 4 = Much or very often, 5 = Extremely often or almost always.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Mean subscale scores range from 1 (low orientation/marginality) to 5 (high orientation/marginality): 1 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of AOS alpha: 0.83-0.94, MOS alpha: 0.88-0.96, Marginality alpha: 0.87.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.