Validation of intercultural sensitivity scale in Ecuadorian undergraduates (University students)

Abstract

The cultural diversity of students in classrooms characterizes the Ecuadorian universities, thus the validation of an instrument that allows to evaluate their intercultural sensitivity becomes necessary. This research analyzes the psychometric properties of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale in 706 university students from 12 provinces of Ecuador. The internal consistency index is 0.9. The exploratory factor analysis grouped 23 items into two communalities; while the confirmatory factor analysis only shows correlation in three of the factors proposed initially by the authors of the scale. The results reveal that the participants have good intercultural sensitivity. However, the dispersion of responses in some items exhibits opinions in favor of cultural superiority and the difficulty of speaking with culturally diverse people.