VU RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Running head: THE CORRELATION OF MATERNAL ACCULTURATION AND
DEPRESSION 1
The Correlation of Maternal Acculturation and Depression among Immigrant Asian
American Adolescents
Linh P. Vu
Central Washington University, Des Moines

THE CORRELATION OF MATERNAL ACCULTURATION AND DEPRESSION 2
Abstract
Despite the increasing population of immigrants in the last few decades, knowledge about
mental health care barely exists among Asian American families. Mental conditions such as
depression are often reported by adolescents as the results of poor psychological outcomes
regarding their parents’ expectation. This study will determine the correlation between maternal
acculturation level (MAL) and depression among immigrant Asian American adolescents
through their perception about cultural identity and family relationship. The study will test
cultural identity level along with depression level of 60 students (n=60) from Central
Washington University (CWU), Des Moines and correlate the data collected to their mothers’
acculturation level (n=60). The research suggests that higher adolescents’ perception of cultural
identity is correlated with lower depression level in immigrant Asian Americans (H1); Higher
connectedness between adolescents and mother represents lower depression level in Asian
American adolescents (H2); Adolescents who obtain high level of cultural identity are more
likely to maintain a better relationship with their mothers and reduce in depression level (H3);
and then, indicates the correlation between MAL and adolescents’ depression level in Asian
American families (H4). Implications for immigrant Asian American adolescents’ psychological
well-being and family cultural factors are discussed.
Keywords: Depression, immigrant Asian Americans, adolescents, maternal acculturation
level, mother-child relations.

Introduction
In the last few decades, the population of Asian American that immigrated to the U.S has
increased from 5% to 30% of the U.S. nation and yet is still increasing (Zong, & Batalova,
2016). In spite of the fact that the population of immigrant Asian Americans is rapidly growing,
surprisingly, not many studies have been done about Asian American adolescents’ psychological
health and social well-being (Qin, 2008). In addition, ethnical and cultural factors such as
maternal/paternal acculturation level which might be related to adolescents’ mental well-being
have not been examined much in literature (Chen, 2009). While most Asian American families
are struggling with adapting new culture, new life, knowledge about mental healthcare barely
exists among those families (Gorman, 2015).
Strongman (2006) indicates that one of the biggest social pressures adolescents struggle
with during their development is the identity crisis. He emphasizes that in Western society,
adolescents’ choices to determine “who I am” are massive due to social expectations and self-
development factors. Perhaps, immigrant Asian American adolescents who stand between the
boundary of both Western and Eastern societies would experience this crisis more frequent
regarding cultural conflict factors. According to Ying and Han (2007), Asian American
adolescents are less likely to tolerate their parents’ traditional values due to the environment
adaptiveness ability. The high level of expectation and competing discrepancy in education and
choices of life from parents caused intercultural conflict (Ying & Han, 2007). This conflict has
concerned many researchers about the influence of family dynamics on the psychological
development of Asian American adolescents. Yet, studies about whether or not family cultural
conflicts influence depression level in immigrant adolescents are limited.

Previous research has shown the negative influence of family dynamics based on cultural
conflict factors to the psychological health of immigrant Asian American adolescents (Qin,
2008; Nguyen, 2008; Moyer & Sandoz, 2015; Dundes et al., 2009). The example which supports
these studies is the Asian American adolescents group aged from 18-25 years old are reported to
have the highest percentage of planning/committing suicide due to antidepressant in the U.S.
(CDC, 2015). In contrast, research showing the positive influence of maternal/paternal
acculturation level to adolescents’ mental health have also been studied and proven thoroughly
(Leu et al., 2012, Malaquias & Francisco, 2015). In addition, Nguyen (2008) did a study about
correlation between acculturation level and mental well-being of immigrant adolescents. In his
study, the results showed a low correlation score between acculturation level and adolescents’
psychological development. However, his study just only focused on paternal factors and
Vietnamese Americans group. Conflicts and limitations from the past literature has raised
questions for future researchers about the influence of maternal acculturation level (MAL) to
Asian American adolescents’ psychological health.
The purpose of this study is to determine the correlation between MAL and psychological
developmental health of immigrant Asian American adolescents through their perception about
cultural identity and family relationship. In addition, mental conditions related to mood
disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and stress are focused on this research. The study will
contribute to literature an explanation for the conflict between the past studies and determine the
correlations between the two variables.
Definitions

Depression: A set of feelings: hopeless, helpless, and worthless that lasts for
many days and weeks which affects a person’s ability to function normally
(WebMD, n.d).
Cultural Identity: One’s perception about nationality, generation, social class,
social group, etc. in which he/she have experienced.
Maternal Acculturation: The process of adapting new cultural traits and social
patterns from another group, while remaining some traits of the traditional one
from the mother’s perspective (Chen, 2009).

Literature Review
In Qin’s study (2008), he states that parents after migration often experience culture
conflicts such as language barriers, and lack of social network. Parents usually focus on coping
with the problems related to their new living situation without paying much attention to their
children’ psychological development (Qin, 2008). Although a lot of research have been
conducted, psychological conditions such as anxiety, and depression still seem to be unfamiliar
among Asian Americans as they more likely to avoid treatments without acknowledging how
these conditions can turn to a crisis (Gorman, 2015).
According to data from 16 National Violent Death Reporting System, over 23.8% of
people in the U.S. decided to commit suicide who were on antidepressants in 2010 (CDC, 2015).
Within the rates above, Asian American college students who are aged from 18 to 25 had higher
rates of suicidal thoughts compare to their White peers (Hijioka, & Wong, AAPA, 2012). In
addition, suicide is the ninth leading cause of death among Asian Americans with 3.3% of having
suicidal thoughts and successfully committed suicide (Duldulao, Takeuchi, & Hong, 2009; CDC,
2005). Although depression is not the main cause of suicide attempts among Americans, the
majority of suicide attempts is from adolescents who have been suffering from depression
(Strongman, 2006). Therefore, depression can be severe. Strongman (2006) states that
adolescents or young adults who attempt suicide because of social isolation characteristic, which
in this case are family and friends.
In literature, research related to the correlation between family dynamics and adolescents’
psychological development is expanding (Qin, 2008). However, the unique relationships between
acculturation level, parenting style, and adolescents’ mental health outcomes still challenging
researchers due to the lack of resources (Nguyen, 2008). Juang et al.’s (2007) study showed that

greater discrepancies in parenting styles equal greater depressive symptoms in children. In other
word, adolescents’ anxiety and depression are more likely to occur when their parents have the
high level of “inflexibility” or experiential avoidance (Moyer, & Sandoz, 2015). A gap between
children and parents’ communication has a tendency to expand regarding the cultural conflict
(Qin, 2008). In addition, Qin’s study (2008) compared different parenting styles within the group
of distressed versus non-distressed adolescents which emphasizes the correlation between family
cultural conflicts and adolescents’ depression. While parents in the non-distressed group turned
into new reality and flexibly absorbed culture contexts along with new parenting strategies after
migrations, parents in the distressed group tried hard to hold on the old parental status as they
continued to highly control their children (Qin, 2008). Another study stated that Asian American
students’ performance in education reflects on the family methods whether it is family honor or
family shame (Dundes et al., 2009). These previous studies showed negative outcomes between
parenting styles depending on acculturation level and depression among adolescents.
However, the positive connection between these variables also has been studied and well-
proven. For example, in Malaquias’s study (2015), they showed a positive correlation between
family rituals, social connectedness, and children’ depressive symptoms. Adolescents who
reported stronger family ritual meanings also reported higher levels of social connectedness as
well as reducing depression (Malaquias & Francisco, 2015). Leu et al. (2012) also indicates that
the decreasing in family cultural conflict frequency among immigrant Asian American
adolescents is highly involved with increasing the self-expectation of helping their families.
Conflicts among these studies show that family acculturation level can cause both
positive and negative outcomes to adolescents’ mental conditions, especially depression. Nguyen
(2008) conducted a study related to paternal acculturation and mental developing among

Vietnamese American adolescents. The study’s results demonstrate that there is a negative
association between paternal acculturation level and adolescents’ perception of their parenting
style. In addition, parents who were born and raised in Eastern culture might find it hard to apply
individualism to parenting methods for their own children. Normally, in Eastern culture, the
family dynamic is what matter the most. Dundes et al. (2009) determine that the central familial
relationship of Eastern culture is not between husband and wife, but rather between parent and
child. Within Asian American families, the fathers would take care of dominant tasks such as
working and earning money, while the mothers are more likely to involve in decision-making,
including parenting methods and education for their children (Dundes et al., 2009). Dundes et al.
(2009) indicates that mother’s decisions involving “happy” academic achievements, and “joyful”
life events for their children are usually due to how much money they will make in the future and
the career path they choose. Regarding those reluctant decisions, self-expectation around family
assistance among Asian American adolescents has higher attempt than native-born Americans
(Leu et al., 2012). The top 5 stressful life events were rated by a large group of Asian American
adolescents in Duong Tran and Khoi’s study (1996).
1. Personal pressure to get good grades
2. High expectation from parents to do well in school
3. Worrying about where to live or getting a job after graduation
4. Studying for a test
5. Fear of failure to meet family expectation
According to this study, it is easy to see these stressful events are positively related to self-
expectation (Tran, & Khoi, 1996, p. 519). Based on previous literature, concern has been

emerged for future researchers as whether or not maternal acculturation level (MAL) would
apply the same result on adolescents’ psychological development.
This study will contribute information about the relationship between MAL and
depression level among immigrant Asian American adolescents by comparing their perception
with their native-born American peers. The study will focus on answering the question whether
or not MAL positively reinforces depression levels among Asian American adolescents by
balancing parenting styles with cultural factors. Hypotheses will be addressed as: Higher
adolescents’ perception of cultural identity is correlated with lower depression level in immigrant
Asian Americans (H1); Higher connectedness between adolescents and their mother reports
lower level of depression and related mood disorders in Asian American adolescents (H2);
Adolescents who obtain high level of cultural perception are more likely to maintain a better
relationship with their mother and reduce in depression level (H3); and use these hypotheses to
support the last one which indicates the correlation between MAL and adolescents’ depression
level in Asian American families (H4)

Methods
Participant. The participants of this study will be 60 pairs of adolescents and mothers,
recruited at Central Washington University (CWU), Des Moines campus, Washington with the
help of college instructors and department faculty. Adolescents who are eligible for this study are
students of CWU. The adolescents’ range of age is from 18 to 25 years old, with the majority of
second Asian American generation whose mothers are immigrants and the minority of native-
born Americans (i.e. Whites, Hispanics, African Americans, etc.). As mentioned earlier, this
group of adolescents is targeted as it was reported to have the highest percentage of depression
risks by poor psychological outcomes. The majority of mothers who participate in the study are
immigrants. All mother subjects obtain a certain level of reading skills in English. The length of
staying in the U.S for mother participants are ≥ 10 years.
Adolescents’ performance at college (i.e. GPA scores, education interaction level), family
statuses (i.e. financial incomes, parents’ marriage status), and gender differences are not
considered as aspects which would impact on the correlation between the two variables in this
study.
Procedure. Data collection time and location will be separated into two periods for
student subjects and mother subjects. The principal investigator will send an email to CWU staff
and faculty asking the permission to practice the study as well as announcing time and location
(Appendix A). In addition, offering extra credit as the reward for student subjects will be
included in this email. The first period of collecting response will be held in the classroom, after
class hours just for the purpose of asking students’ consent along with their mothers’ contact
information. Actual survey taking period will be held at different location and time with the
presents of both mother and student subjects. Once approved, a formal greeting will be done in

person after class hour summarizing the process of taking surveys and benefits each student will
earn after participating (Appendix B). Next, two copies of consent forms will be handed out; one
for the principal investigator and one is for participants to keep (Appendix C). During this
meeting, the investigator will go through the consent form with participations to make sure they
understand the study’s process. In addition, investigator’s responsibility is answering
participants’ question(s) for the consent form if any. Mothers’ contact information will be asked
along with students’ consent during this period as well. The total amount of time for this meeting
is 15 minutes. Once mother subjects’ information is provided, a formal greeting summarizing the
surveys’ process will be done via e-mail to reach this group (Appendix D). Time and location for
the second collecting response will be announced in the email’s content. The informed consent
for mother subjects will also be attached to this email (Appendix E). The contact information of
principal investigator will be added, in case subjects have concern or question. A list of
participations will be created as soon as the principal investigator done gathering consent forms
from both students and mother subjects (Appendix F).
The actual surveys will be taken in the Conference room of CWU, Des Moines campus,
one week after investigator successfully collect consent forms from both subjects. Participants
will be checked in at the door as they show up for this data collection period (see Appendix F).
Subjects who choose not to show up with be determined as “No Show” on the list. At the
beginning of the survey, the principal investigator will have a formal greeting and briefly go over
the detail from informed consent forms with participations (Appendix G). The principal
investigator will separate participants into two groups: students and mothers. Data collected are
also separated into two folders. All materials will be handed out all at once for participants in
folders.

For student subjects, the set of demographic questionnaires (Appendix H) is different
from their mothers’ (Appendix I). A survey assesses Acculturation Level Assessment will be
proceeded (Appendix J). This survey will take about 10 minutes to be done. Acculturation Level
Assessment will contain 26-item self-report instrument from Suinn-Lew-Asian Self-Identity
Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIAS) (1992) related to participants’ behavior upon cultural identity
with a 5-point-scale response. According to Suinn et al. (1992), it is possible to view low score as
high Asian identification and high score high Western cultural identification. Participants whose
scores are average might be determined as neutral or “bicultural identification” (Suinn et al.
1992).
During survey collection period, student subjects will be asked to fill out a survey for
Maternal Connection Scale (Appendix K). This survey will include questions with answer in 5-
point-scale as 1 = “strongly disagreement”, and 5 = “strongly agreement”. This assessment will
help investigator understand more the relationship between participations and their mothers.
Students who report at the score of 10-17 will be considered as low mother-child connectedness,
and the score of 42-50 will be considered as high connectedness. Scores fall from 18-41 will be
considered neutral factors between mother-child relations. This survey will take about 10
minutes.
Finally, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS) will be used to measure participants’
three negative emotional states (Appendix L). DASS contains 42-item self-report instrument
published by Psychology Foundation of Australia (2014). Data collected during this process will
be used to correlate with the previous two variables: cultural identity and family relationship.
According to Lovibond (1995), final scores on the DASS test will be multiple two times based
on the results shown in Table 1.

A debriefing sheet (Appendix M) will also be passed to every participant once
completing surveys on their way out showing investigator’s appreciation, contact information in
case they have any question, and information of clinical/counseling service if students
experience discomfort feelings. The whole process will not take longer than 45 minutes.
Data Analysis. After data collection, participants’ information and responses will be
confidential and stored in faculty sponsor’s room with a locker. Participations’ consent forms and
survey responses will be stored separately in two different cabinets with lockers. For ethical
compliance, only principal investigator and faculty sponsor have access to the data. Data will be
entered using Statistical Product and Services Solutions (SPSS) program in CWU’s computer in
laboratory classroom by the investigator under the faculty sponsor’s supervision. Statistical data
will be recorded as multiple regression criteria with the independent variables are acculturation
level and family relations, and the dependent variable is depression level in adolescents. The R-
square value will be used to assess the predictions of the two variables relations and possible
outcomes in the form of graph results. r=0 refers to the negative correlation between variables.
There is no correlation between the two variables in term of adolescents’ performance at college
(i.e. GPA scores, education interaction level), family statuses (i.e. financial incomes, parents’
marriage status), and gender. Findings based on surveys will suggest hypotheses about
acculturation level of adolescents vs. depression level, mother-child relations vs. depression
level, acculturation level vs. mother-child relations, and finally, the correlation between maternal
acculturation level with depression level.
Table 1.
Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale Final Score Result
Depression Anxiety Stress
Normal 0-9 0-7 0-14

Mild 10-13 8-9 15-18
Moderate 14-20 10-14 19-25
Severe 21-27 15-19 26-33
Extremely Severe 28+ 20+ 34+

References
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Chen, J. (2009). Household income, maternal acculturation, maternal education level and health
behaviors of Chinese-American children and mothers. Journal of Immigrant and
Minority Health J Immigrant Minority Health, 11(3), 198-204.
Depression Health Center-WebMD (2014). What is depression? Goldberg, J. Retrieved February
18, 2016, from http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/what-is-depression
Duldulao, A. A., Takeuchi, D., & Hong, S. (2009). Correlates of Suicidal Behaviors Among
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Dundes, L., Cho, E., & Kwak, S. (2009). The duty to succeed: honor versus happiness in college
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Duong Tran, Q., Lee, S., & Khoi, S. (1996). Ethnic and gender differences in parental
expectations and life stress. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 13, 515-526.
Gorman, A. (2015). For many Asian Americans, depression is an unfamiliar word. The
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depression-is-an-unfamiliar-word/2015/05/22/f186d140-e8f1-11e4-9767-
6276fc9b0ada_story.html

Juang, L. P., Syed, M., & Takagi, M. (2007). Intergenerational discrepancies of parental control
among Chinese American families: Links to family conflict and adolescent depressive
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born European American emerging adults. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 3(3),
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Appendix A
Dear Mr./Mrs., _________________________
My name is Linh Vu. I am a student from Department of Psychology, Central Washington
University, Des Moines campus. I am currently proposing a research studies the correlation
between maternal acculturation level and adolescents’ depression level by comparing cultural
identity level of immigrant Asians Americans to native-born Americans. I kindly contact you to
ask for your permission in order to do a formal greeting during the last 15 minutes of your class.
I need help in recruiting participants who are 18 years old or older studying in CWU Des Moines
campus. The whole procedure will take about 15 minutes to finish. Under your approval, extra
credits may be given to all students who participate. This activity is for academic purpose and all
students’ personal information and privacy will be assured under my responsibility along with
my faculty sponsor’s instruction.
For further information, please feel free to contact me via email at vuli@cwu.edu
I appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,
Linh Vu
Undergraduate Student | Department of Psychology
vuli@cwu.edu

Appendix B
Hello all,
Thank you so much for your present today. First of all, allow me to introduce myself. My
name is Linh Vu. I am currently a junior in Department of Psychology at Central Washington
University, Des Moines campus. I appreciate your present here today participating for my
research. My study is about the relationship between maternal acculturation level and depression
level among immigrant Asian American adolescents compared to their native-born peers.
Today, each of you will be given an informed consent which provide further detail about
this study. After reading the form and carefully considering, you may sign the form to
acknowledge your understanding toward this study. In the end consent form, you may give your
mother’s contact information as you wish to have them participate. The actual survey taking will
be on __/__/2016, in the Conference room of CWU, Des Moines, and take about 45 minutes to
complete. You may dismiss yourself from the study without penalty as you feel uncomfortable
answering the questions. Students who successfully finish the surveys will be given extra credits
for the current class.
Any question or further information, please feel free to contact me at vuli@cwu.edu, or
my faculty sponsor, Dr. Liane Pereira, at (206)-438-3800, LPereira@cwu.edu.
Again, thank you so much for your participation.

Appendix C
CWU RESEARCH PARTICIPANT INFORMED CONSENT
Study Title: The Correlation of Maternal Acculturation Level and Depression
among Immigrant Asian American Students
Principal Investigator: Linh Vu, Undergraduate student. Department of Psychology, CWU Des
Moines. Email: vuli@cwu.edu
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Liane Pereira, Assistant Professor. Department of Psychology, CWU Des
Moines. Phone: (206)-438-3800, ext. 3820. Email: LPereira@cwu.edu
1. What you should know about this study:
 You are being asked to join a research study.
 This consent form explains the research study and your part in the study.
 Please read it carefully and take as much time as you need.
 Ask questions about anything you do not understand now, or when you think of them
later.
 You are a volunteer. If you do join the study and change your mind later, you may quit
at any time without fear of penalty or loss of benefits.
2. Why is this research being done?
This research is being done to reveal the influences of family and cultural values to
adolescents’ psychological developmental health among Asian Americans students. The
results of this research will help students understand better values of acculturation in
parenting methods as well as family values.
3. Who can take part in this study?
If you are 18 years old or older and currently enrolling in Central Washington University
(CWU), you are qualified for this study.
4. What will happen if you join this study?
If you agree to be in this study, we will ask you to do the following things:
 Provide general information about age, gender, and nationality.
 Complete 3 surveys which help us determine your personal experience with
acculturation, maternal connection (family connection), and frequency of stress,

anxiety and depression level during your academic life. The whole procedure will
take about 45 minutes.
Measurements:
Acculturation Level Assessment (SL-ASIAS, 1992): Your behavior upon cultural identity
will be measured by 26-item-self-report instrument. Your response is a 5-point-scale.
Maternal Connection Assessment: You will answer a set of questions related to the
relationship between you and your mother. This is 5-point-scale format answer as the
lowest point equal strongly disagreement and the highest point represents strongly
agreements.
Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS): This survey will measure your level of
stress, anxiety, and depression. The rating scale follows 0 equals total negative affection,
and 3 indicates statement with highly affection to you.
5. What are the risks or discomforts of the study?
During this study, please acknowledge that you might experience discomfort, stress, and
emotional behaviors due to disclosing your personal experience and family issues.
If any time you experience unusual discomfort, you may dismiss yourself from the test
any moment without any penalty.
Further help please contact Dr. Liane Pereira, faculty sponsor at (206)-438-3800 or CWU
Student Counseling Clinic (509)-963-1931.
6. Are there benefits to being in the study?
By successfully complete all requested information and surveys, you may benefit from
receiving extra credits from your class instructor. The study may help other students in
the future understand better the values of family.
7. What are your options if you do not want to be in the study?
You do not have to join this study. If you do not join, it will not affect your grade in any
class or any of your privileges as a CWU student.
8. Will it cost you anything to be in this study?
The study procedures will be provided at no cost to you.
9. Will you be paid if you join this study?
You will not be paid if your decided to join this study.
10. Can you leave the study early?

You can agree to be in the study now and change your mind later. If you wish to stop at
any time, please tell us right away. Leaving this study early will not affect your standing
at CWU in any way.
11. Why might we take you out of the study early?
You may be taken out of the study if:
1. Staying in the study would be harmful.
2. You fail to follow instructions.
3. You become pregnant.
4. The study is cancelled.
5. There may be other reasons that we don’t know at this time to take you out of the
study.
12. What information about you will be kept private and what information may be
given out?
Although we will need your name and other general information to classify a
demographic graph for the study. Your general information will be highly private as only
faculty sponsors or permitted staffs/students will have access to them. Your further
answers given during the surveys will be anonymous due to ethical compliance reason.
13. What other things should you know about this research study?
a. What is the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and how does it protect you?
This study has been reviewed by the CWU Human Subject Review Council. HSRC is
made up of faculty from many different departments, ethicists, nurses, scientists, non-
scientists and people from the local community. The HSRC’s purpose is to review
human research studies and to protect the rights and welfare of the people participating
in those studies. You may contact the HSRC if you have questions about your rights as a
participant or if you think you have not been treated fairly. The HSRC office number is
(509) 963-3115.
b. What do you do if you have questions about the study?
Contact the principal investigator, Linh Vu, at vuli@cwu.edu OR Faculty Sponsor, Dr.
Liane Pereira, at (206)-438-3800, LPereira@cwu.edu.

c. What should you do if you are injured, ill or emotionally upset as a result of being in
this study?
If you think you are injured or ill as a result of being in this study, contact the principal
investigator, Linh Vu, at vuli@cwu.edu Or faculty sponsor, Dr. Liane Pereira, at (206)-
438-3800, LPereira@cwu.edu.
If you have an urgent problem related to your participation in this study, call the Student
Medical and Counseling Clinic at (509)-963-1881 (medical) or (509)- 963-1391
(counseling)
This study is not able to offer financial compensation nor to absorb the costs of medical
treatment should you be injured as a result of participating in this research. However, the
services at the Student Medical and Counseling Clinic will be open to you as they are to
all students.
14. Mother’s Contact:
Mother’s Name (print): ____________________________________
E-mail: ____________________________________
By giving your mother’s contact information, you agree to have your mother participate
in this study.
15. What does your signature on this consent form mean?
By signing this consent form, you are not giving up any legal rights. Your signature
means that you understand the study plan, have been able to ask questions about the
information given to you in this form, and you are willing to participate under the
conditions we have described.

A copy of the form will be given to you.
Participant’s Name (print):
Participant’s Signature: Date:
Signature of Investigator: Date:

Appendix D
Linh Vu
Dear Mrs., _________________________
My name is Linh Vu. I am a student from Department of Psychology, Central Washington
University, Des Moines campus. I am currently proposing a research studies college students’
perception about association between maternal acculturation level and adolescents’ depression
level by comparing immigrant Asians Americans to native-born Americans. Your children gave
me your contact information as in consent form the other day. I kindly contact you to ask for
your participant as I need help your help in order to conduct my research. A general information
questionnaire and a survey will attempt in order to test the research. The actual survey taking
date is __/__/2016, in the Conference room of CWU, Des Moines. The whole procedure will
take about 45 minutes to finish. This activity is for academic purpose and your personal
information and privacy will be confidential under my responsibility along with my faculty
sponsor’s instruction. Attached is the inform consent form which will provide you further
information of this study. As you willing to participate, please sign at the bottom of the form and
reply to me.
For further information, please feel free to contact me via email at vuli@cwu.edu
I appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,
Linh Vu
Undergraduate Student | Department of Psychology
vuli@cwu.edu

Appendix E
CWU RESEARCH PARTICIPANT INFORMED CONSENT
Study Title: The Correlation of Maternal Acculturation Level and Depression among
Immigrant Asian American Students
Principal Investigator: Linh Vu, Undergraduate student. Department of Psychology, CWU Des
Moines. Email: vuli@cwu.edu
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Liane Pereira, Assistant Professor. Department of Psychology, CWU Des
Moines. Phone: (206)-438-3800, ext. 3820. Email: LPereira@cwu.edu
16. What you should know about this study:
 You are being asked to join a research study.
 This consent form explains the research study and your part in the study.
 Please read it carefully and take as much time as you need.
 Ask questions about anything you do not understand now, or when you think of them
later.
 You are a volunteer. If you do join the study and change your mind later, you may quit
at any time without fear of penalty or loss of benefits.
17. Why is this research being done?
This research is being done to reveal the influences of family and cultural values to
adolescents’ psychological developmental health among Asian Americans students. The
results of this research will help students understand better values of acculturation in
parenting methods as well as family values.
18. Who can take part in this study?
If you are 18 years old or older and have children who currently go to CWU Des Moines,
you are qualified for this study.
19. What will happen if you join this study?
If you agree to be in this study, we will ask you to do the following things:
 Provide general information about age, gender, and nationality.
 Complete a which help us determine your personal experience with acculturation,
maternal connection (family connection), and frequency of stress, anxiety and

depression level during your academic life. The whole procedure will take about
45 minutes.
Measurements:
Acculturation Level Assessment (SL-ASIAS, 1992): Your behavior upon cultural identity
will be measured by 26-item-self-report instrument. Your response is a 5-point-scale.
20. What are the risks or discomforts of the study?
During this study, please acknowledge that you might experience discomfort, stress, and
emotional behaviors due to disclosing your personal experience and family issues.
If any time you experience unusual discomfort, you may dismiss yourself from the test
any moment without any penalty.
Further help please contact Dr. Liane Pereira, faculty sponsor at (206)-438-3800 or CWU
Student Counseling Clinic (509)-963-1931.
21. Are there benefits to being in the study?
Your response will be considered as productive participation in order to conduct a study
for literature.
22. What are your options if you do not want to be in the study?
You do not have to join this study. If you do not join, it will not affect your status
23. Will it cost you anything to be in this study?
The study procedures will be provided at no cost to you.
24. Will you be paid if you join this study?
You will not be paid if your decided to join this study.
25. Can you leave the study early?
You can agree to be in the study now and change your mind later. If you wish to stop at
any time, please tell us right away. Leaving this study early will not affect your status.
26. Why might we take you out of the study early?
You may be taken out of the study if:
6. Staying in the study would be harmful.
7. You fail to follow instructions.
8. You become pregnant.
9. The study is cancelled.

10. There may be other reasons that we don’t know at this time to take you out of the
study.]
27. What information about you will be kept private and what information may be
given out?
Although we will need your name and other general information to classify a
demographic graph for the study. Your general information will be highly private as only
faculty sponsors or permitted staffs/students will have access to them. Your further
answers given during the surveys will be anonymous due to ethical compliance reason.
28. What other things should you know about this research study?
a. What is the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and how does it protect you?
This study has been reviewed by the CWU Human Subject Review Council. HSRC is
made up of faculty from many different departments, ethicists, nurses, scientists, non-
scientists and people from the local community. The HSRC’s purpose is to review
human research studies and to protect the rights and welfare of the people participating
in those studies. You may contact the HSRC if you have questions about your rights as a
participant or if you think you have not been treated fairly. The HSRC office number is
(509) 963-3115.
b. What do you do if you have questions about the study?
Contact the principal investigator, Linh Vu, at vuli@cwu.edu OR Faculty Sponsor, Dr.
Liane Pereira, at (206)-438-3800, LPereira@cwu.edu.
c. What should you do if you are injured, ill or emotionally upset as a result of
being in this study?
If you think you are injured or ill as a result of being in this study, contact the principal
investigator, Linh Vu, at vuli@cwu.edu Or faculty sponsor, Dr. Liane Pereira, at (206)-
438-3800, LPereira@cwu.edu.
If you have an urgent problem related to your participation in this study, call the Student
Medical and Counseling Clinic at (509)-963-1881 (medical) or (509)- 963-1391
(counseling)
This study is not able to offer financial compensation nor to absorb the costs of medical
treatment should you be injured as a result of participating in this research. However, the

services at the Student Medical and Counseling Clinic will be open to you as they are to
all students.
29. What does your signature on this consent form mean?
By signing this consent form, you are not giving up any legal rights. Your signature means
that you understand the study plan, have been able to ask questions about the information
given to you in this form, and you are willing to participate under the conditions we have
described.
A copy of the form will be given to you.
Participant’s Name (print):
Participant’s Signature: Date:
Signature of Investigator: Date:

Appendix F
CHECK-IN SHEET Date: _________________
No. Name Contact info Signature
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.

Appendix G
Hello all,
Thank you so much for your present today. First of all, allow me to re-introduce myself.
My name is Linh Vu. I am currently a junior in Department of Psychology at Central Washington
University, Des Moines campus. I appreciate your present here today participating for my
research. Just to recall, my study is about the relationship between maternal acculturation level
and depression level among immigrant Asian American adolescents compared to their native-
born peers. Before getting any further, I would like to ask mother subjects sit on this side of the
class and student subjects sit on the other side, please.
As you all obtain a signed informed consent form acknowledge your understanding
toward the study, today we will do the actual surveys. The whole process will take about 45
minutes. You may dismiss yourself from the study without penalty as you feel uncomfortable
answering the questions. Students who successfully finish the surveys will be given extra credits
for the current class. Does anyone have any question for me before we start?
Please feel free to contact me at vuli@cwu.edu, or my faculty sponsor, Dr. Liane Pereira,
at (206)-438-3800, LPereira@cwu.edu.

Appendix H
General Demographic Questionnaire for Student Subjects
Age: _____________ Years living in the U.S.: _____________________
Gender: Male / Female Nationality: ____________________
What is your primary language?
English Other: _____________________
How do you identify yourself?
 White  Hispanic  Black  Asian  Other: _________
What generation are you? (check the answer that best applies to you)
 1st generation = Born in Asia or country other than U.S.
 2nd generation = Born in the U.S., either parent was born in Asian or country
other than the U.S.
 3rd generation = Born in the U.S, both parents were born in the U.S
 4th generation = Born in the U.S, both parents and grandparents were born in the
U.S.
 N/A

Appendix I
General Demographic Questionnaire for Mother Subjects
Age: _____________ Years living in the U.S.: _____________________
Gender: Male / Female Nationality: ____________________
What is your primary language?
English Other: _____________________
How do you identify yourself?
 White  Hispanic  Black  Asian  Other: _________
What is your educational level? (check the answer that best applies to you)
 Some high school level
 High school graduated
 Some college level
 College graduated
 Prefer not to tell

Appendix J
ACCULTURATION LEVEL ASSESSMENT
Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIAS)
Instruction: The purpose of answering 25 question below is to help us collecting information
about your historical background and your behaviors toward cultural identity. Choose one that
best describe you.
1. What language can you speak?
 Asian only (for example, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc.)
 Mostly Asian, some English
 Asian and English about equally well (bilingual)
 Mostly English, some Asian
 Only English
2. What language do you prefer?
 Asian only (for example, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc.)
 Mostly Asian, some English
 Asian and English about equally well (bilingual)
 Mostly English, some Asian
 Only English
4. Which identification does (did) your mother use?
 Asian
 Asian-American
 Chinese-American, Japanese-American, Korean-American, etc.
 American
5. Which identification does (did) your father use?
 Asian
 Asian-American
 Chinese-American, Japanese-American, Korean-American, etc.
 American
6. What was the ethnic origin of the friends and peers you had, as a child up to age 6?
 Almost exclusively Asians, Asian-Americans

 Mostly Asians, Asian-Americans, Orientals
 About equally Asian groups and Anglo groups
 Mostly Anglos, Blacks, Hispanics, or other non-Asian ethnic groups
 Almost exclusively Anglos, Blacks, Hispanics, or other non-Asian ethnic groups
7. What was the ethnic origin of the friends and peers you had, as a child from 6 to 18?
 Mostly Asians, Asian-Americans, Orientals
8. Whom do you now associate with in the community?
 Mostly Asians, Asian-Americans
9. If you could pick, whom would you prefer to associate with in the community?
 Almost exclusively Asians, Asian-Americans, Orientals
 Mostly Asians, Asian-Americans
10. What is your music preference?
 Only Asian music (for example, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc.)
 Mostly Asian
 Equally Asian and English
 Mostly English
 English only
11. What is your movie preference?

 Asian-language movies only
 Asian-language movies mostly
 Equally Asian/English English-language movies
 Mostly English-language movies only
 English-language movies only
12. Where were you raised?
 In Asia only
 Mostly in Asia, some in U.S.
 Equally in Asia and U.S.
 Mostly in U.S., some in Asia
 In U.S. only
13. What contact have you had with Asia?
 Raised one year or more in Asia
 Lived for less than one year in Asia
 Occasional visits to Asia
 Occasional communications (letters, phone calls, etc.) with people in Asia
 No exposure or communications with people in Asia
14. What is your food preference at home?
 Exclusively Asian food
 Mostly Asian food, some American
 About equally Asian and American
 Mostly American food
 Exclusively American food
15. What is your food preference in restaurants?
 Exclusively Asian food
 Mostly Asian food, some American
 About equally Asian and American
 Mostly American food
 Exclusively American food

16. You read___________
 Only an Asian language
 Asian language better than English
 Both Asian and English equally well
 English better than an Asian language
 Only English
17. You write ____________
 Only an Asian language
 An Asian language better than English
 Both Asian and English equally well
 English better than an Asian language
 Only English
18. If you consider yourself a member of the Asian group (Asian, Asian-American, Chinese-
American, etc., whatever term you prefer), how much pride do you have in this group?
 Extremely proud
 Moderately proud
 Little pride
 No pride but do not feel negative toward group
 No pride but do feel negative toward group
19. How would you rate yourself?
 Very Asian
 Mostly Asian
 Bicultural
 Mostly Westernized
 Very Westernized
20. Do you participate in Asian occasions, holidays, traditions, etc.?
 Nearly all
 Most of them
 Some of them
 A few of them

 None at all
21. Rate yourself on how much you believe in Asian values (e.g., about marriage, families,
education, work): (1=Do not believe; 5= Strongly believe)
1 2 3 4 5
22. Rate your-self on how much you believe in American (Western) values: (1=Do not
believe; 5= Strongly believe)
1 2 3 4 5
23. Rate yourself on how well you fit when with other Asians of the same ethnicity: (1= Do
not fit; 5= Very fit)
1 2 3 4 5
24. Rate yourself on how well you fit when with other Americans who are non-Asian
(Westerners): (1= Do not fit; 5= Very fit)
1 2 3 4 5
25. There are many different ways in which people think of themselves. Which ONE of the
following most closely describes how you view yourself?
 I consider myself basically an Asian person (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean,
Vietnamese, etc.). Even though I live and work in America, I still view myself basically
as an Asian person.
 I consider myself basically as an American. Even though I have an Asian
background and characteristics, I still view myself basically as an American.
 I consider myself as an Asian-American, although deep down I always know I am
an Asian.
 I consider myself as an Asian-American, although deep down, I view myself as an
American first.
 I consider myself as an Asian-American. I have both Asian and American
characteristics, and I view myself as a blend of both.

Appendix K
IS MOM YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Instruction: 10 question below is to help us understand better the relationship between you and
your mother. Please circle one that best describes you. 1=Strongly disagree, and 5=Strongly
Agree
1. My mom understands me well 1 2 3 4 5
2. My mom is always looking out for me 1 2 3 4 5
3. My mom makes decisions for most
event of my life
1 2 3 4 5
4. I feel comfortable sharing my mom
everything
1 2 3 4 5
5. My mom is a good model in parenting 1 2 3 4 5
6. Whenever I need advice, I come to my
mom first
1 2 3 4 5
7. I feel it easy to say “I love you” to my
mom
1 2 3 4 5
8. My mom never criticizes my decisions 1 2 3 4 5
9. I try to perform good at school because
I want my mom to be proud of me
1 2 3 4 5
10. I always do as my mom says. 1 2 3 4 5

Appendix L
DASS Name: Date:
Please read each statement and circle a number 0, 1, 2 or 3 that indicates how much the statement applied to you
over the past week. There are no right or wrong answers. Do not spend too much time on any statement.
The rating scale is as follows:
0 = Did not apply to me at all
1 = Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time
2 = Applied to me to a considerable degree, or a good part of time
3 = Applied to me very much, or most of the time
1 I found myself getting upset by quite trivial things 0 1 2 3
2 I was aware of dryness of my mouth 0 1 2 3
3 I couldn't seem to experience any positive feeling at all 0 1 2 3
4 I experienced breathing difficulty (e.g., excessively rapid breathing,
breathlessness in the absence of physical exertion)
0 1 2 3
5 I just couldn't seem to get going 0 1 2 3
6 I tended to over-react to situations 0 1 2 3
7 I had a feeling of shakiness (e.g., legs going to give way) 0 1 2 3
8 I found it difficult to relax 0 1 2 3
9 I found myself in situations that made me so anxious I was most
relieved when they ended
0 1 2 3
10 I felt that I had nothing to look forward to 0 1 2 3
11 I found myself getting upset rather easily 0 1 2 3
12 I felt that I was using a lot of nervous energy 0 1 2 3
13 I felt sad and depressed 0 1 2 3
14 I found myself getting impatient when I was delayed in any way
(e.g., elevators, traffic lights, being kept waiting)
0 1 2 3
15 I had a feeling of faintness 0 1 2 3
16 I felt that I had lost interest in just about everything 0 1 2 3

17 I felt I wasn't worth much as a person 0 1 2 3
18 I felt that I was rather touchy 0 1 2 3
19 I perspired noticeably (e.g., hands sweaty) in the absence of high
temperatures or physical exertion
0 1 2 3
20 I felt scared without any good reason 0 1 2 3
21 I felt that life wasn't worthwhile 0 1 2 3
Please turn the page →

DASS21 Name: Date:
Please read each statement and circle a number 0, 1, 2 or 3 that indicates how much the statement applied
to you over the past week. There are no right or wrong answers. Do not spend too much time on any
statement.
The rating scale is as follows:
0 = Did not apply to me at all
1 = Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time
2 = Applied to me to a considerable degree, or a good part of time
3 = Applied to me very much, or most of the time
1 I found it hard to wind down 0 1 2 3
2 I was aware of dryness of my mouth 0 1 2 3
3 I couldn't seem to experience any positive feeling at all 0 1 2 3
4 I experienced breathing difficulty (e.g., excessively rapid breathing,
breathlessness in the absence of physical exertion)
0 1 2 3
5 I found it difficult to work up the initiative to do things 0 1 2 3
6 I tended to over-react to situations 0 1 2 3
7 I experienced trembling (e.g., in the hands) 0 1 2 3
8 I felt that I was using a lot of nervous energy 0 1 2 3
9 I was worried about situations in which I might panic and make
a fool of myself
0 1 2 3
10 I felt that I had nothing to look forward to 0 1 2 3
11 I found myself getting agitated 0 1 2 3
12 I found it difficult to relax 0 1 2 3
13 I felt down-hearted and blue 0 1 2 3
14 I was intolerant of anything that kept me from getting on with
what I was doing
0 1 2 3
15 I felt I was close to panic 0 1 2 3
16 I was unable to become enthusiastic about anything 0 1 2 3
17 I felt I wasn't worth much as a person 0 1 2 3

18 I felt that I was rather touchy 0 1 2 3
19 I was aware of the action of my heart in the absence of physical
exertion (e.g., sense of heart rate increase, heart missing a beat)
0 1 2 3
20 I felt scared without any good reason 0 1 2 3
21 I felt that life was meaningless 0 1 2 3

Appendix M
DEBRIEFING SCRIFT
Study Title: The Correlation of Maternal Acculturation and Depression among Immigrant Asian
American Adolescents
Thank you so much for your participation in the study.
Your response today helped contributing information to a scientific study. Students who
complete surveys will soon get extra credits from their instructor. All your information will
maintain confidentially under the main researcher who conduct in this study, Linh Vu and my
faculty sponsor, Dr. Liane Pereira at Central Washington University, Des Moines.
If you have any question, you may contact me at vuli@cwu.edu OR faculty sponsor, Dr. Liane
Pereira, at LPereira@cwu.edu, (206)-438-3800.
If you experience any stress, discomfort feelings or concern regarding your rights as a participant
of this study, please contact faculty sponsor, Dr. Liane Pereira at phone: (206)-438-3800,
LPereira@cwu.edu OR CWU Student Counseling Clinic located at 400 E. University Way,
Corner of 11th and Poplar, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7585. Phone: (509) 963-1391

VU RESEARCH PROPOSAL

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