Adaptation to Malay Culture among Non-Malays: The Psychometric Properties of the Vancouver Index of Acculturation (VIA)

The VIA assesses acculturation through two dimensions: (1) retention of one’s heritage culture and (2) adaptation to mainstream (host) culture practices.

To validate the VIA English version for assessing acculturation among Malaysian non-Malays and non-Malaysians within Malaysia’s majority Malay cultural context.

A total of 236 participants, comprising 136 non-Malaysians and 100 Malaysian non-Malays (127 females; mean age = 24.89 ± 5.82), completed the 20-item VIA (10 items assessing heritage culture retention and 10 items assessing mainstream [host] culture adaptation), using a 9-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 9 (strongly agree). Analyses of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability, known-group comparisons, and a test-retest assessment were performed.

The final CFA model retained 10 items: eight for Domain 1 (heritage culture maintenance) and two for Domain 2 (mainstream culture adaptation). Internal consistency was good for both domains (α = 0.87 and α = 0.85, respectively). Known-group comparisons (Malaysian non-Malay vs non-Malaysian) showed significant differences (p = 0.001 for both domains). Test-retest reliability indicated strong reliability for the heritage domain (ICC = 0.85) and moderate reliability for the mainstream domain (ICC = 0.73), both statistically significant (p = .001).

The final CFA supports a stable two-domain structure with good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Group differences indicate varying levels of cultural adaptation.

The dual processes of cultural maintenance and adaptation among non-Malay individuals in Malaysia suggest the potential application of the VIA for assessing acculturation within a predominantly Malay socio-cultural environment.