Development and Validation of the Enculturation Scale for Filipino Americans

Enculturation is the degree to which a person adheres to the values and behaviors of an indigenous or ethnic culture. This study was conducted to develop the Enculturation Scale for Filipino Americans (ESFA). Items were generated from a literature review, interviews with 5 Filipino American academic experts, and a survey of 24 cultural informants. Two community samples of Filipino Americans (Ns =281 and 269) and I sample of non-Filipino Americans (N = 84) completed the ESFA. The Filipino American samples also completed existing enculturation/acculturation measures for Asian Americans and measures of subjective well-being. In factor analyses, 3 general enculturation dimensions-Connection With Homeland, Interpersonal Norms, and Conservatism replicated well across samples. Internal consistency reliability estimates for the ESFA subscales were high, and construct validity was supported by the pattern of relationships with alternative, but less culture-specific, enculturation/acculturation measures, as well as immigration, generational status, and cultural identity variables. Item response theory methods were used to develop a short form of the ESFA.