Scale Overview
The Asian Values Scale – AVS was developed by Bryan S. K. Kim, Paul H. Yang, Donald R. Atkinson, Michael M. Wolfe, & Sunhee Hong (2001). It is designed to measure Asian cultural values. The scale is intended for use with Asian Americans and general adult populations.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 36 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Conformity to Norms, Family Recognition through Achievement, Emotional Self-Control, Filial Piety, Humility, Collectivism.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Conformity to Norms |
2,9,20,29,32,33 |
6 |
| Family Recognition through Achievement |
1,4,10,13,17,31 |
6 |
| Emotional Self-Control |
21,22,24,25,28,35 |
6 |
| Filial Piety |
3,7,15,18,19,23,34 |
7 |
| Humility |
5,6,11,16,26 |
5 |
| Collectivism |
8,12,14,27,30,36 |
6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Moderately Disagree, 3 = Mildly Disagree, 4 = Neither Disagree or Agree, 5 = Mildly Agree, 6 = Moderately Agree, 7 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 18 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 36 to 252. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low adherence to Asian cultural values: 36 – 108
- Moderate adherence to Asian cultural values: 109 – 180
- High adherence to Asian cultural values: 181 – 252
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from 0.81 to 0.82.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.