Development and validation of a scale for acculturation in the context of spectator sports among Asian Americans

Abstract

Given the lack of research on acculturation in spectator sports, the creation of a valid and reliable measurement scale is imperative for sport marketers and researchers seeking to engage ethnic minority groups. This study aimed to develop a scale with strong psychometric properties to assess the influence of acculturation on sports spectator consumption behavior. The resulting scale, termed the Spectating Sport Acculturation Scale (SSAS), demonstrated robust psychometric properties, including validity and reliability, across two different studies. Specifically, the SSAS consists of two distinct subscales: SSAS-SCO (measuring sports in the culture of origin) and SSAS-SAC (measuring sports in American culture). Each of these subscales contains an equal number of comparable items (15 items each) that pertain to four dimensions: cultural identity (3 items), cultural behavior (4 items), language usage and proficiency (4 items), and cultural knowledge (4 items). both SSAS-SCO and SSAS-SAC subscales exhibited good psychometric properties as evidenced by Exploratory Factor Analyses in Study 1. Additionally, Cronbach's alpha coefficients for all domains within the two subscales exceeded .70, demonstrating good internal consistency. To confirm the factor structure of both subscales, Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFAs) were employed. The results of CFAs affirmed that both the SSAS-SCO and SSAS-SAC subscales exhibited a satisfactory alignment with the data. Moreover, the factor loadings, Average Variance Extracted (AVE), and Cronbach's alpha coefficients yielded results in line with expectations. Furthermore, concurrent validity was established by assessing the correlations between each of the subscales and the level of ethnic identity. In the future, it will be essential to validate and establish reliability for the 30-item SSAS with other ethnic minority groups in the United States for cross-validation purposes. © JPES.