Abstract
AbstractIn a globalised world, understanding acculturation—the process by which individuals adapt to new cultural environments—is crucial, especially in multicultural societies. The East Asian Acculturation Measure (EAAM), rooted in Berry’s acculturation model, has been extensively used to assess acculturation strategies among East Asian populations in the United States. However, its application to other cultural groups remains limited due to its specificity. This study aims to adapt and validate the EAAM for broader applicability across diverse cultural contexts, particularly among populations outside the East Asian demographic.The study involved 819 international students in Germany and South Africa from 112 countries. It was conducted in two phases: the first included 490 and 329 in the second. The psychometric properties of the EAAM were evaluated through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Initial CFA results showed that the original four-factor model did not adequately fit the diverse sample, prompting further EFA, which revealed a more suitable five-factor structure. This new structure termed the Shortened Adapted Acculturation Scale (SAAS), comprises five dimensions: Social Disconnection, Cultural Adaptation, Social Perception, Interpersonal Comfort, and Language Integration. The SAAS demonstrated high internal consistency and reliability across all factors, with significant evidence of measurement invariance across genders.The findings emphasise the importance of culturally adapting psychological measures to ensure validity and reliability across diverse populations. The SAAS offers a robust tool for assessing acculturation beyond East Asian contexts, providing valuable insights into the complexities of cultural adaptation. The study’s outcomes contribute significantly to the field of cross-cultural psychology and highlight the need for continued research on acculturation processes in an increasingly diverse world.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory