Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jun 16:10.1037/cdp0000750.
doi: 10.1037/cdp0000750. Online ahead of print.

Development and validation of the American Indian Multimedia Stimulus (AIMS) set for measuring cultural identity responding

Danielle L Bethel  1 , Nicole R Baughman  1 , Mara J Demuth  1 , Mariah Nacke  1 , Lizbeth Rojas  1 , Eric Mann  1 , Gabe Cochran  1 , Ricardo A Wilhelm  1 , Rayus Kuplicki  1 , Joanna O Shadlow  2 , Gary L Lawrence  3 , Terrence K Kominsky, Glenna P Stumblingbear-Riddle  4 , Christopher Kemp  5 , Miigis B Gonzalez  5 , Melissa L Walls  5 , Robin L Aupperle  1 , Martin P Paulus  1 , Evan J White  1
Affiliations

Development and validation of the American Indian Multimedia Stimulus (AIMS) set for measuring cultural identity responding

Danielle L Bethel et al. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol. .

Abstract

Objectives: Traditional cultural connection is an established protective factor in American Indian (AI) health research. Measurement of traditional cultural connection is primarily survey-based, limiting the ability to delineate underlying processes that may be important for advancing culturally grounded mental health prevention and intervention efforts. This study aimed to establish and validate a stimulus set to probe cultural identity and provide a framework for similar development in diverse cultures.

Methods: The sample included 194 self-identified AI participants to view cultural and comparison stimuli across three media types (i.e., audio, video, and pictures). Participants rated each stimulus for arousal, valence, identity relevance, and cultural typicality.

Results: Findings showed cultural stimuli consistently evoked higher responses across media type and domain of reactivity than comparison stimuli (ps < .001, ds = 0.30-2.37). Identity ratings for cultural stimuli across all media types were directly correlated with self-report assessments of AI spirituality and enculturation (rs = 0.22-0.40, ps < .002) as well as inversely associated with acculturation (rs = -0.35 to -0.49, ps < .001).

Conclusions: These findings underline the potential of the devised stimulus set to effectively measure cultural connection in a heterogeneous AI population and offer a framework for broad cross-cultural application in future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Allen J, Wexler L, & Rasmus S (2022). Protective Factors as a Unifying Framework for Strength-Based Intervention and Culturally Responsive American Indian and Alaska Native Suicide Prevention. Prevention Science, 23(1), 59–72. 10.1007/s11121-021-01265-0 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ames DL, & Fiske ST (2010). Cultural Neuroscience. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 13(2), 72–82. 10.1111/j.1467-839X.2010.01301.x - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bassett D, Buchwald D, & Manson S (2014). Posttraumatic stress disorder and symptoms among American Indians and Alaska Natives: A review of the literature. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 49(3), 417–433. 10.1007/s00127-013-0759-y - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Beals J, Belcourt-Dittloff A, Freedenthal S, Kaufman C, Mitchell C, Whitesell N, Albright K, Beauvais F, Belcourt G, Duran B, Fleming C, Floersch N, Foley K, Jervis L, Kipp BJ, Mail P, Manson S, May P, Mohatt G, … Walters K (2009). Reflections on a proposed theory of reservation-dwelling American Indian alcohol use: Comment on Spillane and Smith (2007). Psychological Bulletin, 135(2), 339–343. 10.1037/a0014819 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Beals J, Manson SM, Shore JH, Friedman M, Ashcraft M, Fairbank JA, & Schlenger WE (2002). The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder among American Indian Vietnam veterans: Disparities and context. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 15(2), 89–97. 10.1023/A:1014894506325 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources