The Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS) scale measures participant experience with acculturation. Acculturation is defined as a complex, multidimensional process of learning that occurs when individuals or groups come into continuous contact with and assimilate into a dominant culture. Acculturation can be a useful construct to measure in order to explain the differences within and between minority ethnic and racial groups. Minority ethnic and racial groups have been documented to experience significant disparities in research, and this measure can help understand these disparities.
Measures Registry
Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS)
Description
Purpose
Acculturation is a concept that has increasingly become an important variable to understand between- and within-ethnic group differences in research. Having a scale to measure acculturation to the dominant American culture among participants can allow researchers and assessors to understand the impact that cultural identity has on behavior and expression. This scale does not only compare individuals who belong to a specific minority ethnic and racial background (within group differences), but can also compare the differences between minority ethnic and racial groups (between group differences).
Target Population
Source Article Population
Population listed is based on the sample measured in the source article.
Diverse minority ethnic and racial groups (compared to the dominant American culture) from the New York City, Boston, and Springfield areas of Massachusetts
Year of Publication
2000
Reference
Source Article:
Stephenson, M. (2000). Development and validation of the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS). Psychological Assessment, 12(1), 77-88. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.12.1.77
Analytics Article:
Yi, S. S., Beasley, J. M., Kwon, S. C., Huang, K. Y., Trinh-Shevrin, C., & Wylie-Rosett, J. (2016). Acculturation and activity behaviors in Chinese American immigrants in New York City. Preventive Medicine Reports, 4, 404-409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.08.007
Spanish Translation Article:
Negy, C., Hammons, M. E., Reig-Ferrer, A., & Marino Carper, T. (2010). The importance of addressing acculturative stress in marital therapy with Hispanic immigrant women. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 10(1), 5-21. http://hdl.handle.net/10045/15603
Number of Items
32
Scale Types (Likert=Likert Type; MC=Multiple Choice; T/F=True/False; OR=Open Response)
Likert Type
Analytics Article:
Likert: 1 = False, 2 = Partly false, 3 = Partly true, 4 = True
Subscales
"Dominant Society Immersion (DSI)
Ethnic Society Immersion (ESI)"
Scoring
To estimate ESI, the responses to items 1 to 17 of the SMAS are averaged, with a maximum total score of 4. To estimate DSI, the responses to items 18 to 32 of the SMAS are averaged, with a maximum total score of 4 (Yi et al., 2016).
Administration
Self-Administered
Readability/ Literacy Level
Proficiency in English (for English version)
Reliability
Coefficient alphas showed 0.86 for the entire scale. Coefficient alphas were 0.97 and 0.90 for the Ethnic Society Immersion and Dominant Society Immersion subscales, respectively.
A Spanish translation of the SMAS for a different study revealed Cronbach's alphas of 0.81 (for the English version), 0.66 (for the Spanish version), and 0.79 (for both combined) for the Ethnic Society Immersion subscale. The same study revealed Cronbach's alphas of 0.60 (for the English version), 0.77 (for the Spanish version), and 0.75 (for both combined) for the Dominant Society Immersion subscale (Negy et al., 2010).
Validity
A strong theoretical predictive relationship was found between generational status and performance on the DSI and ESI subscales of the SMAS. Means computed for each scale item support this pattern, with DSI increasing and ESI decreasing across each of the first three successive generations of respondents.
Limitations
Contrary to researcher expectations, participants from the fourth generation scored higher on the ESI and lower on the DSI than the third generation, although these differences were not statistically significant. Although it was expected that participants of the fourth generation would be more immersed in the dominant society than participants from the first through third generations, it is difficult to determine whether the restricted range of scores observed on the DSI with later generations demonstrates that the SMAS is not functioning as intended or limitations of the SMAS in assessing later generations.
Availability
Publicly Available
Cost
Free
Other Considerations
N/A