Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics – SASH
Measures the level of acculturation among Hispanic individuals across language use, media preferences, and ethnic social relations.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics – SASH was developed by Gerardo Marín, Fabio Sabogal, Barbara VanOss Marín, Regina Otero-Sabogal, & Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable (1987). It is designed to measure Acculturation. The scale is intended for use with Hispanic/Latino individuals.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 12 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Language Use, Media, Ethnic Social Relations.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Language Use | 1,2,3,4,5 | 5 |
| Media | 6,7,8 | 3 |
| Ethnic Social Relations | 9,10,11,12 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Only Spanish / All Latinos/Hispanics, 2 = Spanish better than English / More Latinos than Americans, 3 = Both equally / About half and half, 4 = English better than Spanish / More Americans than Latinos, 5 = Only English / All Americans.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Less Acculturated (Spanish Dominant): 1 – 2
- More Acculturated (English Dominant / Bicultural): 3 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Alpha = 0.92 (overall), 0.90 (language), 0.86 (media), 0.86 (social relations).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.