Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH)

Abstract

The Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH) is a widely utilized psychological scale developed to measure the level of acculturation among individuals of Hispanic descent residing in the United States. Developed by Marín and colleagues in 1987, this instrument offers a concise yet reliable assessment of an individual’s engagement with both Hispanic and mainstream American cultures. The scale specifically focuses on key behavioral indicators across three primary domains: language usage, media consumption patterns, and ethnic social relations. Its brevity (12 items) makes it particularly useful for large-scale epidemiological studies and clinical settings where time constraints are a factor.

Keywords

Acculturation, Hispanics, Latinos, ethnic identity, language use, media consumption, social relations, psychological instrument, SASH.

Authors

Gerardo Marín, Fernando Sabogal, Barbara V. Marín, Raquel Otero-Sabogal, and Eliseo J. Perez-Stable.

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the SASH is to provide researchers and practitioners with an efficient and psychometrically sound tool for quantifying the degree of cultural adaptation, or acculturation, experienced by members of the Hispanic community. By assessing observable behaviors rather than internal psychological states, the scale provides a clear metric for understanding how individuals navigate and integrate into the dominant culture while maintaining ties to their heritage culture.

The scale was specifically designed to overcome limitations found in earlier, lengthier acculturation measures, offering a quick administration time without sacrificing high levels of reliability. This efficiency is crucial when studying large, diverse populations of Hispanics, allowing for better controls in health and behavioral research that must account for cultural factors.

Construct

The SASH measures the multidimensional construct of acculturation, specifically focusing on behavioral and social manifestations of cultural adaptation. It posits that acculturation is best understood through tangible actions and preferences, which are categorized into three distinct, yet interrelated, factors:

• Language Use: This factor examines the primary language spoken, read, and thought in, reflecting the integration into the linguistic environment of the host country (Items 1–5).
• Media Consumption: This factor measures preferences regarding television, radio, and movies, indicating exposure to and acceptance of mainstream cultural content (Items 6–8).
• Ethnic Social Relations: This factor assesses the cultural composition of an individual’s social network, including friends and social gatherings, which reflects the degree of social integration or separation (Items 9–12).

Validity

While the original source content does not explicitly list specific validity coefficients (e.g., convergent or discriminant validity), the development process outlined in the 1987 publication established strong face and content validity. The items were selected based on extensive literature review and expert consensus regarding crucial behavioral indicators of acculturation among Hispanics.

Subsequent research utilizing the SASH has generally confirmed its construct validity, demonstrating expected correlations with other measures of cultural orientation, immigration status, and ethnic identity. The clear factor structure (Language, Media, Social Relations) also contributes to the scale’s theoretical validity, ensuring that the measured components align with established theories of acculturation.

Reliability

The SASH demonstrates high internal consistency reliability, as measured by Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients. The original validation study by Marín et al. (1987) reported robust alpha values for both the total scale and its subscales, indicating that the items reliably measure their intended construct.

• Alpha for 12 Items (Total Scale): 0.92
• Alpha for Language Use Subscale (Items 1–5): 0.90
• Alpha for Media Consumption Subscale (Items 6–8): 0.86
• Alpha for Ethnic Social Relations Subscale (Items 9–12): 0.86

These high values confirm the SASH as a highly reliable instrument for assessing acculturation levels in Hispanic populations.

Factor Analysis

The SASH is structured around three distinct factors identified through factor analytic techniques during its development: Language Use, Media Consumption, and Ethnic Social Relations. Although concise, the 12 items effectively load onto these three dimensions, providing a granular yet comprehensive view of acculturation.

The strong reliability scores for each subscale (all above 0.85) support the internal coherence and independence of these factors, suggesting that they capture unique aspects of cultural adaptation. Researchers often utilize scores from the individual subscales in addition to the total composite score to understand specific areas where acculturation is most pronounced.

Instrument

Test Type: Behavioral Psychological Scale

Format: 12 self-report items utilizing a 5-point Likert-type response format.

Language Available: Typically administered in English and Spanish, or bilingual format, depending on the research context.

Population Group: Individuals of Hispanic or Latino descent.

Age Group: Adults (originally validated on adult populations, though often adapted for adolescents).

Population Details: Primarily developed for use with U.S. residents of Latin American origin, focusing on immigrants and their descendants.

Test Methodology: Self-administered questionnaire designed to assess cultural behaviors and preferences regarding language and social interaction.

Keywords

Acculturation measurement, Latino culture, cultural adaptation, psychological assessment, Marín scale, ethnic minorities.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics was published in 1987. As a published academic instrument, usage typically requires citation of the original article (Marín et al., 1987). Commercial use or inclusion in proprietary databases may require specific permissions from the original authors or the journal publisher (Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences).

The instrument is also referenced in comprehensive collections of measures, such as Measuring Race and Ethnicity (Davis LE and Engel RJ, 2011). The general principles of the instrument can be reviewed via the publisher link provided: http://www.springer.com/978-1-4419-6696-4.

Reference’s

• Marín, G., Sabogal, F., Marín, B.V., Otero-Sabogal, R., & Perez-Stable, E.J. (1987). Development of a short acculturation scale for Hispanics. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 9, 183–205.
• Davis LE and Engel RJ. Measuring Race and Ethnicity. New York, NY: Springer 2011.

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Items of the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. In general, what language(s) do you read and speak?
2. What was the language(s) you used as a child?
3. What language(s) do you usually speak at home?
4. In which language(s) do you usually think?
5. What language(s) do you usually speak with your friends?
6. In what language(s) are the TV programs you usually watch?
7. In what language(s) are the radio programs you usually listen to?
8. In general, in what language(s) are the movies, TV, and radio programs you prefer to watch and listen to?
9. Your close friends are;
10. You prefer going to social gatherings/parties at which the people are;
11. The persons you visit or who visit you are;
12. If you could choose your children’s friends, you would want them to be.

Scoring for Items 1–8 (Language/Media):

• 1 = Only Spanish
• 2 = Spanish better than English
• 3 = Both equally
• 4 = English better than Spanish
• 5 = Only English

Scoring for Items 9–12 (Ethnic Social Relations):

• 1 = All Latinos/Hispanics
• 2 = More Latinos than Americans
• 3 = About half and half
• 4 = More Americans than Latinos
• 5 = All Americans