Purpose of the Scale

The primary purpose of this scale is to assess how individuals adapt socially and culturally when they relocate to a new cultural context, such as in cases of migration, forced displacement, or participation in intercultural exchange programs. It explores the extent to which individuals adopt specific strategies to respond to the demands of the new environment, while also capturing their attitudes toward cultural diversity and multiculturalism.

Scale Analysis

The scale was developed by Peter Schmitz in 1994 and consists of 19 statements. These statements are organized around four key adaptation strategies, according to Berry’s theoretical framework: integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization. The integration strategy reflects an effort by the individual to actively participate in the new society while simultaneously maintaining elements of their original cultural identity. Assimilation involves a preference for full incorporation into the new culture, with a relinquishing of cultural characteristics from the individual’s background. Separation refers to a choice to preserve one’s original culture while avoiding engagement with the host society. Marginalization describes a state of isolation in which the individual feels alienated from both the original and the host cultures. The scale can be administered to both adolescents and adults, thus expanding its applicability across different age groups and social conditions.

Scoring and Statistical Analysis

Scoring is based on a seven-point Likert scale, where 1 corresponds to “strongly agree” and 7 to “strongly disagree.” Each statement receives a score based on the participant’s response, and the final score results from the sum of all responses across the 19 items. The total score ranges from 19 to 133. Higher scores reflect a more positive attitude toward multiculturalism and greater adaptability to the new social environment.

Validity

The validity of the scale has been supported by high correlation coefficients with related psychometric variables, such as psychological well-being, sense of belonging, attitudes toward ethnic outgroups, and satisfaction with life in a new cultural setting. These correlations indicate that the scale accurately measures the dimensions of cultural adaptation it is intended to evaluate.

Reliability

The reliability of the scale, as measured by the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, reaches the exceptionally high level of 0.96. This result indicates that the individual items on the scale demonstrate a strong degree of internal consistency, reinforcing confidence in the tool’s reliability for both research and diagnostic purposes.

References

The theoretical foundation of the scale and its empirical support are derived from the work of Berry, Bouvy, Van de Vijver, Boski, and Schmitz (1994), which presents a comprehensive approach to cross-cultural adaptation. Specifically, Schmitz (1994) examines acculturation and adaptation processes among immigrants in Germany. More recent studies, such as that by Stogianni, Murdock, He, and Van De Vijver (2021), focus on attitudes toward multiculturalism, expanding the application of the scale and confirming its cross-cultural validity.