An Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Socialization Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES) with International Transracial Adoptive Parents

Background and Purpose: Cultural and racial socialization in transracial adoptive families are mainly initiated by transracial adoptive parents. However, some parents are little considered the needs of cultural and racial socialization of their adopted children. Literature concerning parenting in transracial adoptive families has explored factors increase the likelihood of cultural and racial socialization practices (Berbery & O’Brian, 2011), including racial awareness, and cultural and racial socialization self-efficacy. As socialization self-efficacy is suggested as a predictor of the practices, there is need for a reliable, valid, and practical instrument with which to measure socialization self-efficacy. Thus, the purpose of this study is to provide examine the factor structure of the Socialization Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES) with a sample of international transracial adoptive parents.

Method: Data were collected using a cross-sectional survey design. The survey was administered online from January to March 2012. The TAPS-R was administered as part of cultural and racial socialization study. A convenience online sample of international adoptive parents (N = 310) was recruited through parent support groups. The majority of the participants were mothers (90%) and Caucasian (95%) and 88% completed college or post-graduate degrees. The average age of the participants was 48.30 years (SD = 7.10).  The average income was approximately $134,000 (SD= 83,275).

Exploratory factor analysis using Principle Factors Analysis identified and extracted a likely factor structure. The number of factors retained was based on previous empirical findings, an examination of the produced eigenvalues, Kaiser-Guttman’s retention criteria, a scree plot, and parallel analysis (PA). The retained factors were then rotated to obtain interpretable factor loadings using oblique Promax rotation to allow for correlated factors. Each item was examined and assigned to the factor on which it had the largest loading.  Items that did not meet a cutoff point (≤.40) were not retained in the final structure.

Results: The exploratory factor analysis, as expected, revealed a 10-item form of the SSES with a 2-factor underlying structure similar to that suggested in relevant literature (Crolley-Simic, 2006): Cultural Socialization Self-Efficacy (6 items) and Racial Socialization Self-Efficacy (4 items). The Cultural Socialization Self-Efficacy factor includes items relevant to parents’ motivation and beliefs about their capability to perform cultural socialization practices. Items in the Racial Socialization Self-Efficacy factor are relevant to parents’ motivation and beliefs about their capability to perform racial socialization practices.

Conclusions and Implications: The findings suggest that the newly developed SSES, is a sound instrument that captures transracial adoptive parents’ beliefs about their ability to perform cultural and racial socialization practices. The results contribute to literature related to cultural and racial socialization in transracial adoption. As this is an initial study of the SSES, future study is needed to further establish its reliability, validity, and factor structure.