A Scale to Measure Bicultural Competence
Bicultural competence is the ability to be proficient in two different cultures. Although researchers have demonstrated that being biculturally competent has positive psychological impacts, there has not been an attempt to measure bicultural competence scientifically. This study is intended as an initial step in the construction and validation of a measure of bicultural competence. Approximately 100 students enrolled in the Summer Research Opportunities Program and in the Psychology Subject Pool at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, most of whom are ethnic minorities, will complete a questionnaire packet that contains the preliminary items for the new scale that are intended to assess the following six components of bicultural competence: knowledge of cultural beliefs and values, positive attitude toward both groups, bicultural efficacy, communication ability, role repertoire, and groundedness. A factor analysis will be conducted in order to determine the factor structure of the new scale. To test the validity of the scale, patterns of correlation between the bicultural competence scale and the measures of acculturation, emotional distress, life satisfaction, personality factors, academic achievement, and social desirability will be examined.
School:
Yale University
Department:
Psychology
Research Advisor:
Sumie Okazaki
Department of Research Advisor:
Psychology
Year of Publication:
2002