Measuring Sense of Indebtedness in Second-Generation Immigrants in Switzerland

Abstract

Abstract. Sense of indebtedness toward parents (SIP) refers to feelings of debt to give back to parents for their migration-related sacrifices in second-generation immigrants. Based on Kang (2010), we developed a German SIP scale to measure these feelings. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to provide evidence of the theoretical factor structure underlying SIP, (2) to test SIP’s measurement invariance in four immigrant groups, and (3) to shed light on the validity of SIP. The sample included N = 492 second-generation immigrants (66% female, Mage = 32.39, SDage = 10.46) in Switzerland. The results showed good reliability, confirmed the theoretical one-factor model, and supported partial scalar invariance across four immigrant groups. Further analysis provided evidence for the SIP’s discriminant and incremental validity. The measure Sense of Indebtedness Toward Parents is a valuable contribution to the ongoing research on intergenerational relations in immigrant families.

Keywords

• second-generation immigrants
• intergenerational relations
• measurement invariance
• sense of indebtedness
• social support