Reliability of bidimensional acculturation scores: a meta-analysis

Understanding score reliability is a necessary step in examining the validity of acculturation instruments. Thus, the authors evaluate the aggregate reliability of three multigroup, bidimensional acculturation instruments: General Ethnicity Questionnaire--Abridged, Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale, and Vancouver Index of Acculturation. Reliability generalization techniques are used to analyze 51 internal consistency estimates and 6 sample characteristics for these instruments. Overall, reliability estimates for all three instruments appear to be robust. However, the ranges of reliability estimates across diverse samples vary greatly, which has implications for the interpretation of substantive outcomes and acculturation instrument selection. In addition, variability in reliability estimates is associated with scale length, gender, and ethnic composition of sample. Implications for acculturation research and measurement are discussed. Keywords: acculturation, meta-analysis, reliability generalization, General Ethnicity Questionnaire, Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale, Vancouver Index of Acculturation