Comparing Judgements of Social, Behavioural, Emotional and School Adjustment Functioning for Korean, Korean American and Caucasian American Children

Abstract

Social, emotional, behavioural and school adjustment functioning among Korean, Korean American and Caucasian American children was examined with the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) Self-Report of Personality (SRP) and the Parent Rating Scale (PRS). One hundred and twenty Korean, Korean-American and Caucasian-American children, ages 8 to 11, and their parents participated in this study. Generally, the Korean children were perceived as behaving in a more controlled, less self-reliant and internalizing manner than were the American children. The Korean American children were rated to have more adjustment difficulties. The notion of Korean family collectivism versus western individualism and the inherent conflict in these cultural values was used to discuss the results. Practitioners should be aware that ratings with the BASC PRS and SRP scales of Korean and Korean American children can be influenced by culture to a significant degree. Also it appears that the BASC SRP and PRS are sensitive to conflict created in children and families caught between cultures, particularly related to demands for rapid Americanization.