Cultural Influences on Ratings of Self-Perceived Social, Emotional, and Academic Adjustment for Korean American Adolescents

Abstract

This study investigated the appropriateness of the Self-Report of Personality (SRP) of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) with a sample of Korean American adolescents. The study further explored the extent to which Korean American adolescents experience social and emotional difficulties and how these difficulties might be related to acculturation status. Participants were 51 second-generation Korean American adolescents in sixth to twelfth grade in public schools. Results indicated that the SRP was moderately reliable for this sample of Korean-American adolescents. Furthermore, their average scores were similar to the norming sample on all but two of the SRP scales. One fifth or more of the participants scored in the at-risk or clinically significant range on four subscales, indicating the presence of social and emotional distress. Finally, acculturation status showed a strong positive correlation only with the Self-Reliance subscale. This study provides information to help teachers, counselors, and administrators improve their understanding of the social, emotional, and academic adjustment of Korean American adolescents.