Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire

Historically, acculturation has referred to the process of change experienced by individuals of a minority group during the adoption of the majority group’s culture (Berry, 1980). Szapocznik & Kurtines (1993) have suggested that acculturation can occur in a more complex fashion that involves both the retention of the behaviors, customs and values of the culture of origin as well as the acquisition of the behaviors, customs and values of the host culture. To assess this process in Hispanic immigrants, Szapocznik and Kurtines developed the Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire that permits the separate measurement of Hispanicism Motivational Enhancement Therapy-Spanish version and Americanism (Szapocznik, Kurtines, and Fernandez, 1980). This 24-item self-report measure assesses comfort of Hispanic and English language, as well as enjoyment of cultural customs and behaviors associated with the Hispanic and American cultures using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Not at all Comfortable to 5 = Very Comfortable). Scores for three subscales are calculated, including Americanism, Hispanicism, and Biculturalism. Adequate internal consistency has been reported, ranging from .89 to .94 (Gomez & Fassinger, 1994; Szapocznik, Kurtines, & Fernandez, 1980). Acculturation (Rogler, Cortes, & Malgady, 1991) and Biculturalism (Szapocznik, Kurtines & Fernandez, 1980) levels have been related to psychological adjustment in Hispanic groups.