A Reliability Generalization of the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale

Abstract

A reliability generalization was conducted on studies that reported use of the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA), published between 1987 and 2013. For inclusion in this meta-analysis, each study had to have reported a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for its sample. Data from 83 Cronbach's alpha coefficients representing 12,992 participants were analyzed; only 67 out of 193 published studies (43.52%) reported reliability scores for their sample. The reliability scores produced by the SL-ASIA ranged from .62 to .96 with an average of .91 (SD = 0.07); therefore, all of the reported reliability scores for this instrument were in the acceptable to excellent range. Our results demonstrate that SL-ASIA continues to be an instrument with strong psychometric properties when used with diverse populations, and it is therefore appropriate for continued use with studies on acculturation.

Validating the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale Among Middle Eastern Migrants: Linear Versus Orthogonal Approaches

“…Psychometric properties of the original SL-ASIA are addressed in a wide range of literature. The legibility and writing quality, satisfactory test-retest reliability over a short time, and adequate internal consistency of the scale are confirmed in numerous studies (2,13,16). A metaanalysis review of published studies from 1987 to 2013 reporting the application of any version of the SL-ASIA showed that all reliability scores of this instrument range acceptable to excellent (2).…”

“…Significant population movement in the 21st century has led to an expanded interest in acculturation research and the demand for culturally and psychometrically sound measures (1). Acculturation happens when people from diverse cultural backgrounds come into continuous first-hand contact, and is defined as the process by which individuals adopt the attitudes, values, customs, beliefs, and behaviors of another culture (1,2). The concept of acculturation was originally proposed by Redfield, Linton, and Herskovits, and through the years, a variety of approaches are suggested to conceptualize and measure acculturation (3,4).…”

“…In 1987, the Suinn-Lew Asian self-identity scale (SL-ASIA) was devised by Suinn et al (11), in response to significant interest in the research literature of the Asian-American population, and due to the lack of objective measures of acculturation. The SL-ASIA is now the most commonly used scale to measure acculturation among Asians (2,11). The SL-ASIA is originally a 21item self-report scale devised based on the initial conceptualization of acculturation as a unidimensional or linear process (12).…”

“…In addition, while the SL-ASIA is the most commonly cited instrument to evaluate acculturation among Asian immigrants, all validity studies are conducted among East, South-East, and South Asian population groups (including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Hmong, Filipino, Cambodian, and Japanese), and to date, no study is established on the validity of the SL-ASIA among other Asian populations such as the ones from the Middle East (12,17,18,20,21). Moreover, the SL-ASIA is mostly validated among US immigrants and rarely among immigrants to other parts of the world (2,13). Furthermore, there is a lack of research on the validity of the 26-item SL-ASIA, as to the best of authors' knowledge, no attempt is made to validate the extra five items of the scale (direct contact with Dr. Suinn-Lew) (14,15).…”

Behavioural Consequences of Consumer Ethnic Identification and Acculturation: An Investigation in the Context of Targeted Online Advertisements

“…Current literature treating this process as unidimensional suggests that acculturation may be measured on a scale from low acculturation to high acculturation, broadly allowing for three outcomes: Assimilation (high acculturation, in which a person mostly associates with Western culture) Separation (low acculturation, in which a person mostly associates with ethnic culture), and Integration (neither high nor low acculturation, in which a person associates equally with Western and ethnic culture). To determine these outcomes, acculturation was A meta-analysis review of studies published between 1987 and 2013 in which any version of the SL-ASIA scale was applied found that all reliability scores of the instrument ranged from acceptable to excellent, with Cronbach's alpha scores ranging from .62 to .96 with an average of .91 (SD=.07) (Phillips, King, Kivisalu, & O'Toole, 2016). Suinn, Ahoona, & Khoo's (1992) study regarding Asian migrants found significant correlation between acculturation scores using the SL-ASIA scale and demographic variables reflecting levels of Asian-American identity, (2020) found the reliability of the orthogonal SL-ASIA scale to improve from .44 to .67, which was determined to be satisfactory.…”