Psychometrics of a brief acculturation scale for hispanics in a probability sample of urban Hispanic adolescents and young adults

This article presents data in support of the reliability and validity of a four-item measure of acculturation for Hispanics. The study has three strengths. First, this brief measure is evaluated with a probability sample of Hispanic adolescents and young adults (ages 15-24 years) living in urban low-income households. Second the sample contains both second- and third-generation Puerto Rican and Mexican American adolescents and young adults. Third, the acculturation measure was administered as part of a face-to-face interview. The four-item acculturation scale correlated highly with generation length of time in the United States, subjective evaluation of acculturation, country of birth, and language chosen for the interview. The psychometric properties of this brief scale are comparable to those obtained for other published scales. Results support the use of this four-item measure of acculturation ar a simple, inexpensive measure that involves minimal respondent burden.