Cultural Distance Scale – CDS
Measures the perceived differences between an individual's home culture and a host culture.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Cultural Distance Scale – CDS was developed by I. Babiker, J. Cox, & M. M.C. (Revised by C. Ward & W. Searle) (1980). It is designed to measure Cultural Distance. The scale is intended for use with Sojourners, international students, and immigrants.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = No different, 1 = A little different, 2 = Some difference, 3 = A lot different, 4 = Extremely different.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 40. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Cultural Distance: 0 – 10
- Moderate Cultural Distance: 11 – 20
- High Cultural Distance: 21 – 30
- Very High Cultural Distance: 31 – 40
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.