Issues in the Conceptualization and Assessment of Acculturation

Abstract

This chapter focuses on conceptual issues in acculturation research and addresses frequently observed sources of problems in the assessment of acculturation. It focuses on an application domain of acculturation assessment: the immigrant family. From a historical perspective, most research on acculturation has been anthropological in nature and has focused on the acculturation of developing nations to industrial, Western societies. Early theories and research on acculturation were strongly influenced by medicine and psychiatry and examined the pathological symptoms accompanying culture shock. Variables addressed in psychological acculturation research can be broadly divided into three groups: acculturation conditions, acculturation orientations, and acculturation outcomes. Domain-specific models are offshoots of the trait model. The development of a standardized acculturation instrument or at least a widely accepted procedure to design and evaluate such an instrument is an essential next step in acculturation assessment. Future research on acculturation should focus more on the questions of how researchers can incorporate acculturation in assessment in multicultural groups.