Scale Overview
The Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale – SL-ASIA was developed by Richard M. Suinn, Rick Lew (1987). It is designed to measure Acculturation. The scale is intended for use with Asian Americans.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 26 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Language, Identity, Social Association, Cultural History and Preferences, Values.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Language |
1,2,17,18 |
4 |
| Identity |
3,4,5,12,19,20,26 |
7 |
| Social Association |
6,7,8,9,24,25 |
6 |
| Cultural History and Preferences |
10,11,13,14,15,16,21 |
7 |
| Values |
22,23 |
2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Low Acculturation (High Asian Identity), 3 = Bicultural, 5 = High Acculturation (High Western Identity).
The scale includes 2 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 26 to 130. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Acculturation (High Asian Identity): 26 – 52
- Bicultural: 53 – 104
- High Acculturation (High Western Identity): 105 – 130
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.88 – 0.91.
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.