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Brief Acculturation Orientation Scale (BAOS)

Brief Acculturation Orientation Scale (BAOS) Test

Understand how you relate to your home and new cultures in just 2 minutes. Eight quick items highlight well being, belonging, and daily fit so you can target support and anticipate challenges.

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Questions: 82 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

14,572 views

1,255 completions

1,094 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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How the Scales are Structured

example score

10/28

Host Culture Orientation (HCO)

Measures how strongly a person is oriented toward accepting and adapting to the host country’s culture, including its norms and traditions.

Low orientation

Moderate orientation

High orientation

4 – 12: Low orientation | 13 – 20: Moderate orientation | 21 – 28: High orientation

A score of 10 falls in the Low orientation range, suggesting limited inclination at this time to adopt or engage with the host culture’s norms and traditions.

example score

15/28

Orientation Toward Heritage Culture (OTHC)

Measures how strongly a person seeks to preserve and maintain their native culture (e.g., language, traditions, customs) during acculturation.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 12: Low | 13 – 19: Moderate | 20 – 28: High

A score of 15 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a balanced intention to maintain aspects of the native culture while adapting to the host culture.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Recent immigrants and expats

46%OF USERS

People who have moved to a new country and want to understand how connected they feel to their home and host cultures and how well they are adjusting.

International students

34%OF USERS

Students studying abroad who want a quick snapshot of their emotional well-being, cultural identity, and day-to-day fit in the new environment.

Migration support professionals

20%OF USERS

Counselors, social workers, and researchers who use the results to screen adaptation challenges and tailor integration support or study outcomes.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Orientation to the culture of the host country (Ottcothc)

Average

21.1

Normal range

16.8 — 25.4

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Orientation Towards Native Culture (OTNC)

Average

14.1

Normal range

10.2 — 18

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire set measure?

It measures emotional well-being related to both cultures, cultural identification with each culture, and day-to-day functioning in the host society.

How long does it take and how many questions are included?

Estimated completion time is about 2 minutes. The set includes 8 questions.

What time period should responses refer to?

Responses should reflect typical experiences in recent weeks unless an item indicates otherwise.

How should responses be selected?

Choose the option that best matches current experience or agreement. Select one answer per item and avoid leaving items blank.

How should results be interpreted?

Scores describe patterns of orientation toward the culture of origin and the host culture, along with psychological and sociocultural adjustment. Results are not diagnostic and should be interpreted alongside other information.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Brief Scale of Acculturation Orientations, BAOS Test

Brief Acculturation Orientation Scale (BAOS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

ethnopsychology migrants sociocultural adaptation

This measure is designed to assess acculturation-related orientations in individuals living in a cultural context different from their culture of origin. The Brief Acculturation Orientation Scale (BAOS) focuses on the extent to which a respondent endorses identification with, and orientation toward, both heritage and receiving cultures as potentially independent dimensions.

The instrument includes 8 items and typically requires about 2 minutes to complete. It is commonly used in research and applied settings where a brief, standardized indicator of acculturation orientation is needed to inform case conceptualization, program planning, or evaluation.

Scores from the Brief Acculturation Orientation Scale (BAOS) are generally interpreted as reflecting relative orientation toward each cultural context rather than as a diagnostic indicator. Results should be considered alongside demographic information, migration history, language use, and other clinically relevant factors.

Author: jean-s-phinney, john-w-berry

Literature: Berry, J. W. Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology: An International Review. 1997.

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