Acculturation Index (AI)

Abstract

The Acculturation Index (AI) is a 21-item self-report measure that assesses an individual’s acculturation orientation. The AI was developed by Colleen Ward and Allen Rana-Deuba (1999). The AI consists of two subscales: Heritage Acculturation and Host Acculturation. Heritage Acculturation measures the extent to which an individual maintains their heritage culture, while Host Acculturation measures the extent to which an individual adopts the host culture. The AI has been shown to be a reliable and valid measure of acculturation orientation, and it has been used in a variety of research studies on acculturation and adaptation.

Introduction

Acculturation is the process by which individuals and groups adapt to a new culture. This process can be complex and challenging, and it can have a significant impact on an individual’s psychological and sociocultural well-being. There are a number of different models of acculturation, each of which emphasizes different aspects of the process. One of the most widely used models is the acculturation framework of John Berry (1997). Berry’s model identifies four different acculturation strategies: integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization. Integration is a bicultural strategy in which an individual maintains their heritage culture while also adopting the host culture. Assimilation is a unicultural strategy in which an individual abandons their heritage culture and fully adopts the host culture. Separation is a unicultural strategy in which an individual maintains their heritage culture and rejects the host culture. Marginalization is a unicultural strategy in which an individual rejects both their heritage culture and the host culture.

The Acculturation Index

The Acculturation Index (AI) is a 21-item self-report measure that assesses an individual’s acculturation orientation. The AI was developed by Colleen Ward and Allen Rana-Deuba (1999). The AI consists of two subscales: Heritage Acculturation and Host Acculturation. Heritage Acculturation measures the extent to which an individual maintains their heritage culture, while Host Acculturation measures the extent to which an individual adopts the host culture. The AI has been shown to be a reliable and valid measure of acculturation orientation, and it has been used in a variety of research studies on acculturation and adaptation.

Psychometric Properties of the AI

The AI has been shown to be a reliable and valid measure of acculturation orientation. The AI has good internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from .70 to .80. The AI has also been shown to be stable over time, with test-retest correlations ranging from .70 to .80. The AI has been cross-validated on a number of different ethnic groups, and it has been shown to be a valid measure of acculturation orientation across different cultures.

Use of the AI in Research

The AI has been used in a variety of research studies on acculturation and adaptation. The AI has been used to study the relationship between acculturation and a variety of psychological outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. The AI has also been used to study the relationship between acculturation and sociocultural outcomes, such as social support, discrimination, and language proficiency.

Conclusion

The Acculturation Index (AI) is a reliable and valid measure of acculturation orientation. The AI has been used in a variety of research studies on acculturation and adaptation. The AI is a valuable tool for researchers who are interested in studying the process of acculturation.

References

Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46(1), 5-34.

Ward, C., & Rana-Deuba, A. (1999). Acculturation and adaptation revisited. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 30(4), 422-442.

 The Acculturation Index Items

Not at all similar 1-‎–‎–‎–‎–‎-2-‎–‎–‎–‎–‎-3-‎–‎–‎–‎–‎-4-‎–‎–‎–‎–‎-5-‎–‎–‎–‎–‎-6-‎–‎–‎–‎–‎-7 very similar
1. Clothing
2. Pace of life
3. General knowledge
4. Food
5. Religious beliefs
6. Material comfort (standard of living)
7. Recreational activities
8. Self-identity
9. Family life
10. Accommodation/residence
11. Values
12. Friendships
13. Communication styles
14. Cultural activities
15. Language
16. Perceptions of co-nationals
17. Perceptions of host nationals
18. Political ideology
19. World view
20. Social customs
21. Employment activities
 
 
Assess two independent dimensions of acculturation (co-national identification and host national identification) and four modes of acculturation (separation‚ integration‚ assimilation‚ and marginalization)
 
 

Acculturation Index (AI)

Adoption    by Wei-Hsuan Wang 2009
1. Dressing style
•      I maintain a dressing style of my own culture.
•      My dressing style is somewhat Americanized. 
2. Food
•      I maintain an eating style of my own culture. 
•      My eating style is somewhat Americanized.
3. Living community (e.g.‚ Apartment complex)
•      I live in a community where there are a lot of people of my own cultural background. .
•      I live in a community where residents are mainly Americans. 
4. Roommate choice (If you have/had a roommate)
•      I choose to live with someone from my own culture.
•      I choose to live with someone who is an English speaker or someone I can practice English. 
5. Recreational activities
•      I maintain recreational activities of my own culture.
•      My recreational activities are somewhat Americanized.
6. Friendship network
•      I maintain a good friendship network with people from my own culture.
•      I have many American friends or friends from different cultural background.
7. Pace of life
•      I maintain a pace of life which is similar to peers in my home country. 
•      My pace of life is similar to my American peers. 
8. Reading
•      I spend a lot of time reading in my own language (e.g.‚ online readings‚ emails‚ novels).
•      I spend a lot of time reading in English (e.g.‚ academic papers‚ textbooks).
9. Writing
I spend a lot of time writing in my own language (e.g.‚ emails‚ journaling).
I spend a lot of time writing in English. .
10. Speaking
•      I spend a lot of time speaking in my own language.
•      I spend a lot of time speaking in English.
11. Listening
•      I spend a lot of time listening to my own language.
•      I spend a lot of time listening to English.
12. Overall language usage
•      I spend a lot of time using my own language.
•      I make efforts to increase my opportunities to use English. 
13. Communication style
•      My communication style is similar to people from my own culture.
•      My communication style is similar to American style (e.g.‚ more direct)
14. Religious beliefs (if you have any)
•      My religious belief is similar to that of people from my own culture.
•      My religious belief is similar to that of most Americans.
15. Church attendance (if you are attending a church)
•      I choose to attend a church of my own culture (e.g.‚ Chinese church/Korean church).
•      I choose to attend an American church.
16. Values
•      I maintain values of my own culture.
•      My values are somewhat Americanized.
17. Social activities
•      I like to attend social activities held by my cultural group.
•      I like to attend social activities held by American or international groups.
 
1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = Neutral; 4 = agree; 5 = strongly agree
 

Ward‚ C.‚ & Kennedy‚ A. (1994). Acculturation strategies‚ psychological adjustment‚ and sociocultural competence during cross-cultural transitions. International Journal of Intercultural Relations‚ 18(3)‚ 329-343.

Ward‚ C. (1999). Models and measurement of acculturation. In W. I. Lonner‚ D.L. Dinner‚ D.K. Forgays‚ and H. A. Hayes (Eds.)‚ Merging past‚ present‚ and future in cross-cultural psychology (pp. 221-230). Netherlands: Swets and Zeitlinger Publishers.

Ward‚ C.‚ & Rana-Deuba‚ R. (1999). Acculturation and adaptation revisited. Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology. 30‚ 422-442.

Wang‚ Wei-hsuan. (2009). Chinese international students’ cross-cultural adjustment in the U.S.: the roles of acculturation strategies‚ self-construals‚ perceived cultural distance‚ and English self-confidence. University of Texas at Austin. PhD Dissertation.

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