Brief Acculturation Scale for Hispanics – BASH
Measures language-based acculturation level among Hispanic individuals.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Brief Acculturation Scale for Hispanics – BASH was developed by A. E. Norris, K. Ford, & C. A. Bova (1996). It is designed to measure Acculturation. The scale is intended for use with Hispanic adolescents and young adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 4 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Only Spanish, 2 = More Spanish than English, 3 = Both equally, 4 = More English than Spanish, 5 = Only English.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 4 to 20. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Acculturation (Spanish Dominant): 4 – 11
- Bicultural (Bilingual): 12 – 12
- High Acculturation (English Dominant): 13 – 20
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.90-0.94.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 2 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.