Assessing Cultural Adaptation: Psychometric Properties of the Cultural Adaptation Pain Scale

Abstract

This article explores the psychometric properties of a newly developed Cultural Adaptation Pain Scale. This scale is designed to assess the degree of subjective pain, social distance, and discouragement that may be related to cultural adaptation. Factor analyses revealed 4 factors in the scale that had an overall Cronbach's alpha of .85. Implications for multicultural counseling are discussed.

Development and validation of the Acculturative Stress Scale for Chinese College Students in the United States (ASSCS).

“…It accounted for 3.564% of the total variance. Previous studies have recorded perceived discrimination among international students and the resulting mental health problems (Hwang & Ting, 2008;Sandhu et al, 1996). Especially, Mori (2000) reported the racist educational system as a unique barrier for international students to survive in academic settings.…”

“…Isolation reflected that Chinese students lacked a social network and social support in coming to a new environment (Liu, 2009;Sandhu et al, 1996). Perceived Discrimination described environmental obstacles in Chinese students' acculturation process (Benner & Kim, 2009;Chan, Tran, & Nguyen, 2012;Hwang & Ting, 2008).…”

Relations Between Acculturation And Alcohol Use Among International Students

“…Dominant groups often deliberately or unwittingly force changes in acculturating groups (Sandhu, Portes, & McPhee, 1996). As a result, the acculturating group is often forced to undergo more intense modification of specific aspects of its traditional culture, resulting in varying degrees of conflict (Nicassio, 1985).…”

“…As acculturating individuals need to make a number of personal, social, and environmental adjustments during this forced adaptation to the host culture, they often incur significant psychological distress, which can reduce their quality of functioning at multiple levels, including functioning in physical, psychological, and social domains (Sandhu et al, 1996). This, in due course, may lead to the feelings of powerlessness, as well as perceptions of threat to self and cultural identity.…”

“…This, in due course, may lead to the feelings of powerlessness, as well as perceptions of threat to self and cultural identity. Learned helplessness, hopelessness, hostility, perceptions of being alienated, and of being marginalized can all together aggravate this distress (Sandhu et al, 1996). Nwadiora and McAdoo (1996) found that reduced physical and mental health were associated with psycho-cultural stresses that arise during acculturation due to differences in host and traditional cultures.…”