The Relationship between Afrocentric Values and Racial Identity Attitudes: Validation of the Belief Systems Analysis Scale on African American College Students

Abstract

The Belief Systems Analysis Scale (BSAS) was administered to 171 African American college students attending Black studies classes at a predominantly White institution to provide further evidence on the psychometric properties of the instrument. The Racial Identity Attitude Scale (RIAS) and the African Self-Consciousness Scale (ASCS) were used to provide construct validity and determine the relationship between an optimalAfrocentric belief system, racial identity attitudes, and African self-consciousness. Thefindings support the use of the total BSAS scale as ameasure of optimalAfrocentric values, although afactor analysis failed to confirm the structure on two of the five subscales as defined in the previous administration of the instrument on a sample of White college students. A direct relationship was found between the BSAS and the RIAS but not between the BSAS and the ASCS. It is suggested that Afrocentric values and African self-consciousness may represent separate domains of the overall African American identity structure.