Measurement Repository

The Bi-Ethnic Identity Scale was designed to measure bicultural ethnic identity among American Indian youth and young adults. It evolved from Orthogonal Cultural Identification Theory (OCIT) (Oetting & Beauvais, 1990–91), which proposes that identifications with different cultural groups are independent and not mutually exclusive. The measure originally drew on four items from Oetting & Beauvais (1991) and was expanded to include eight items. These items assess family cultural activities, future personal involvement in cultural traditions, language use, and the importance of religious or spiritual beliefs. Higher scores reflect stronger bicultural ethnic identity.

The Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire (BIQ) was originally developed by Szapocznik, Kurtines, and Fernandez (1980) to assess how individuals engage with and feel comfortable in both their heritage and majority culture. The measure was designed to capture two dimensions of biculturalism: (1) comfort in each cultural context and (2) enjoyment and frequency of participation in cultural activities. Items ask about language use, media, food, social interactions, and cultural practices. The BIQ has been used to study the relationship between bicultural involvement and psychological adjustment and to measure bicultural orientation as a protective factor for well-being and adaptation. Scores reflect levels of involvement and comfort in each culture, providing researchers with insights into bicultural identity and orientation.

The Biculturalism Measure was designed to assess the degree to which individuals live according to both Native American and White-American cultural ways of life. It is grounded in Orthogonal Cultural Identification Theory (OCIT) (Oetting & Beauvais, 1990–91), which argues that identification with different cultures is independent (orthogonal) rather than opposite ends of a single continuum. Moran et al. (1999) applied this theory to American Indian adolescents, demonstrating that Native and White cultural identifications can coexist without diminishing one another. The measure consists of two parallel subscales: Living life in the Native American way (3 items) Living life in the White-American way (3 items) Items ask respondents to rate the extent to which they, their immediate family, and their close friends live by each cultural way of life. This structure provides an indicator of bicultural identity and cultural orientation

The Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) is a 4-item questionnaire designed to capture tendencies to cope with stress in a highly adaptive manner. The scale focuses on the tendency to effectively use coping strategies in flexible, committed ways to actively solve problems despite stressful circumstances. Each item has 5 response options, ranging from “does not describe me at all” to “describes me very well.” The higher the total sum score, the higher the respondent’s level of resilient coping.

The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESDR-10), is a 10-item symptom measure that has been validated in Native communities. CESDR-10 is a self-report scale used to measure depressive symptoms. The full version has been widely used among adolescent and AI populations, including Apache youth. Depression symptoms are highly correlated with substance use, particularly for mothers with a history of substance misuse before pregnancy, with both maternal depressive symptoms and substance misuse significantly impacting children’s immediate risks (e.g., risk of neglect) and long term outcomes, making maternal depressive symptoms a key target for prevention. The CESDR-10 asks respondents to rate the frequency of specific depressive symptoms in the past two weeks. The more often depressive symptoms that are experienced by the respondent and the more depressive symptoms they experience in general, the higher the risk for major depressive disorder. Any score 8 and over (0.80 average score or above) is considered high risk.

The Cherokee Self-Reliance Measure is a 24-item Likert scale instrument designed to assess self-reliance within Native cultural contexts. The measure originated as the Cherokee Self-Reliance Measure, which was developed to evaluate the Cherokee life-way of self-reliance as a composite of three cultural domains: being responsible, being disciplined, and being confident. Two overarching cultural themes cut across these domains: being true to oneself and being connected. These concepts were identified through the Cherokee Self-Reliance Model, which reflects the holistic and interconnected worldview of Cherokee culture. The instrument was later adapted for broader use with other Native groups, including Plains tribes, and renamed the Native Self-Reliance Measure. It has been used in intervention studies with Native adolescents to assess strengths-based cultural protective factors against substance use.

The Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS) is a self-report measure designed to assess trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms in children and adolescents. It includes items that ask about the frequency of intrusive thoughts, nightmares, avoidance behaviors, emotional distress, negative changes in mood and thinking, hyperarousal, and functional impairments in the past two weeks. Participants rate each symptom on a scale from “Never” to “Almost always.” Additional questions assess whether these symptoms have interfered with key areas of functioning, such as relationships, school, or general happiness. The CATS is used to identify trauma-related distress and guide decisions about mental health support or trauma-informed care.

The Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM) is a social-ecological measure designed to assess the resources available to children and youth that support their resilience. Grounded in a definition of resilience as both the capacity to access and negotiate for resources in meaningful ways, the CYRM evaluates protective factors across personal, relational, and contextual domains. In this repository, the CYRM-R is available in two versions: a 17-item version and a shortened 6-item version, both consisting of positively worded items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. It has been widely used internationally and validated through Rasch analysis. The measure provides an overall resilience score and two subscale scores (personal resilience and caregiver/relational resilience), helping researchers and practitioners understand strengths and gaps in individuals’ support systems and environments.

The Child Coping Behaviors Measure is an adapted version of the Brief COPE (28 items) scale, designed to assess the range of coping strategies children use when experiencing stress. The adapted measure consists of 9 items that prompt children (and caregivers of children) to reflect on how often they engage in specific behaviors when something stressful or difficult happens. The purpose of this strengths-based measure is to understand children’s typical responses to stress and identify patterns in positive coping behaviors. Scores can be interpreted by subscales (e.g., emotional support) or as a total coping score. Higher scores on positive coping subscales reflect healthier, more adaptive coping behaviors.

The Children’s Hope Scale is a 6-item self-report measure developed to assess dispositional hope in children aged 8 to 16 years. Based on Snyder’s cognitive model of hope, the scale evaluates two components: agency (goal-directed determination) and pathways (planning to achieve goals). Each subscale includes three items. Children respond using a Likert scale ranging from “none of the time” to “all of the time.” The higher a participant’s score, the more hope a respondent has for their current and future prospects.

The Closeness to Grandparents scale (2000), assessed adolescents’ perceived emotional closeness and relationship quality with the grandparent they felt closest to. The five-item scale asked participants about how much they could depend on their grandparent, how loved and cared for they felt, satisfaction with the relationship, perceived closeness compared to other grandchildren, and how often the grandparent provided advice or help with problems. Items were rated using 4-point response scales with anchors that varied by item, and responses were averaged to create an overall closeness score.

The Collectivism Scale is a six-item instrument that assesses the degree to which individuals place importance on group goals, welfare, and interdependence over individual outcomes in workplace settings. Items emphasize prioritizing collective welfare and group membership.