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The Development and Validation of the Taiwanese Ethnic Identity Scale (TEIS): A “Derived Etic” Approach

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to design a multidimensional measure of ethnic identity (EI) that would be appropriate for research on acculturating and modernizing cultural groups. Four qualitative approaches were utilized: in-depth interviews, free-listing exercize, card-sorting technique, and cognitive interviews. Qualitative interviews conducted with Taiwanese American subjects identified ten major domains related to EI. Fifty items were generated from the four qualitative approaches and the psychometric properties of the Taiwanese Ethnic Identity Scale (TEIS) were tested with two samples: 305 Taiwanese American (TA) and 354 Taiwanese (T) women. Factor analysis yielded a 26–item TEIS with six factors. The six factors and the percentage of variance accounted for by each factor were: rituals and traditions (22.8%), language (10.3%), family dynamics/good child (7.1%), parental opinion (6.0%), individualism (4.5%), and collectivism (4.5%). Components of content, construct, and known groups validity were assessed, as well as reliability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Policy and Management, The Johns Hopkins University, School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

    Grace Tsai & Barbara Curbow

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  1. Grace Tsai
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  2. Barbara Curbow
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Correspondence to Barbara Curbow.

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Tsai, G., Curbow, B. The Development and Validation of the Taiwanese Ethnic Identity Scale (TEIS): A “Derived Etic” Approach. Journal of Immigrant Health 3, 199–212 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012279628385

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