Autonomy-connectedness, acculturation, and independence-interdependence among various cultural groups in a multicultural society

The present study was aimed at investigating the relationships between autonomy-connectedness and adherence to independent and interdependent values in second-generation Dutch immigrant women with a background in countries labeled as collectivistic, and same-aged indigenous Dutch women (N = 180 and N = 157, respectively). Both groups completed the Autonomy-Connectedness Scale (ACS-30; Bekker & Van Assen, 2006) and the Self-Construal Scale (Singelis, 1994). Additionally, those with an immigrant background filled out the Acculturation Questionnaire (Arends-Tóth & Van de Vijver, 2003). Contrary to expectations, both groups had similar levels of self-awareness, whereas the indigenous Dutch women were - after controlling for educational level - more sensitive to others. In both groups, but even more in the group with an immigrant background, adherence to independent values appeared to contribute substantially and positively to self-awareness as well as capacity for managing new situations, and negatively to sensitivity to others. In addition, adherence to interdependent values contributed, for both groups, positively to sensitivity to others, and, for those with an immigrant background, negatively to self-awareness. The ACS-30 appeared to be useful for assessing autonomy-connectedness in the immigrant groups that participated in the study. The results confirm that a simple distinction between native and immigrant Dutch groups in terms of being self- or other-focused should be rejected, and give rise to further, clinically relevant research questions.     

Adolescents’ future wishes and fears in their acculturation process

In this study we aim at learning about adolescents’ future fears and wishes from different cultural origins with a view to finding implications for intervention in the furthering of their satisfaction and social integration in their acculturation process. The study sample comprised 938 secondary school students—64.4% Spanish, 19.7% South American and 12.8% African. Wishes and fears were evaluated by means of two open questions and the answers were categorized following traditional content analysis methodology. Results show that the adolescents wish for a satisfactory job, family and economic situation, and that they are concerned about aspects such as their own health and that of their family, the possibility of having a precarious job, isolation from their family of origin, and not forming a family. The findings also allow us to give differential profiles according to the cultural origin of the adolescents.     

Bringing together acculturation theory and intergroup contact theory: Predictors of Flemings’ expectations of Turks’ acculturation behavior

The present paper explores Flemish majority members’ expectations concerning the acculturation of Turkish minorities. We studied two kinds of antecedents: majority members’ perceptions of Turkish minorities’ acculturation behavior and their experiences of intergroup contact. The possible mediating role of outgroup affect was also investigated. 247 Flemish high school students completed a survey. Data were analyzed using path analyses. Results show that positive contact experiences and perceiving that Turkish immigrants make efforts to engage in contact with the host group and/or to adopt the host culture are associated with less negative affective reactions towards Turkish migrants. Perceiving that Turkish immigrants maintain their heritage culture is associated with more negative affective reactions. Our results further revealed that increased negative affective reactions are associated with less support for culture maintenance and for contact with the host group but with a higher demand for host culture adoption. The present results also show that expectations of contact engagement and expectations of host culture adoption cannot be considered as equivalent. This implies that results from studies using Berry's conceptualization of acculturation expectations (Berry, 2001) and results from studies using Bourhis’ conceptualization of acculturation expectations (Bourhis, Moïse, Perreault, & Senécal, 1997) are not directly comparable. Our data also clearly disconfirm the orthogonal structure of the fourfold acculturation model for majority members’ acculturation expectations, suggesting that relying on the specific dimensions defining acculturation expectations may constitute a more valid approach to understand ongoing acculturation processes.     

Acculturation and psychosocial adjustment of Chinese international students: Examining mediation and moderation effects

This study examined mechanisms through which acculturation influenced psychosocial adjustment of Chinese international students. Specifically, these mechanisms refer to the mediating and moderating effects of social interaction and social connectedness with host nationals upon the acculturation–adjustment linkages. Chinese international students from four universities in Texas responded to a web-based survey (N = 508). Results from regression analyses showed social connectedness with Americans mediated the links between adherence to the host culture (acculturation dimension) and psychosocial adjustment (i.e., depression and sociocultural adjustment difficulties). Social interaction with Americans moderated the association between adherence to the home culture (acculturation dimension) and depression. We discussed implications for theory and health promotion practice, and presented directions for future research.     

A resilience-based and meaning-oriented model of acculturation: A sample of mainland Chinese postgraduate students in Hong Kong

Traditional acculturation research has focused mainly on acculturative stress and its negative consequences on the mental health of migrants. However, there has recently been a substantial paradigm shift in acculturation research from a psychopathological perspective to a resilience framework, which focuses on positive adaptation outcomes and their contributing protective factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate how to improve the emotional well-being of migrants by developing and testing a resilience model of acculturation using mainland Chinese postgraduate students in Hong Kong as the sample. A total of 400 mainland Chinese students were recruited from six universities in Hong Kong through a cross-sectional survey. A resilience-based and meaning-oriented model of acculturation was developed for Chinese students by path analysis and structural equation modeling. Threat appraisal and sense-making coping partially mediated the relationship between acculturative hassles and negative affect. The effect of acculturative hassles on positive affect was mediated by two pathways: the first was mediated by threat appraisal, sense-making coping, and negative affect; the second was mediated by meaning-in-life. The findings suggest that acculturative hassles and threat appraisal are significant risk factors and that sense-making coping and meaning-in-life are important protective factors for psychological adjustment in cross-cultural adaptation.     

Adept through adaptation: Third culture individuals’ interpersonal sensitivity

This study evaluated the interpersonal sensitivity of third culture individuals, defined as people who lived in a country other than that of their nationality during their developmental years, by comparing them to mono-cultured individuals. While the notion that third culture individuals develop enhanced perceptual skills as a result of intercultural adaptation is widely accepted in popular and professional literature, this assertion has not been empirically tested. Previous research on intercultural communication competence and adaptation has almost exclusively focused on intercultural exposure among adults. This study collected data from 142 individuals using web-based surveys. The instruments measured two aspects of participants’ interpersonal sensitivity: social and emotional sensitivity. Results showed that third culture individuals have significantly higher social sensitivity than mono-cultured individuals, while mono-cultured individuals reported higher emotional sensitivity. Additionally, no significant correlation was found between greater intercultural experience and increased interpersonal sensitivity.     

Changes in multicultural, Muslim and acculturation attitudes in the Netherlands armed forces

The present study examined changes in multicultural, Muslim and acculturation attitudes in the Dutch military. In 2008 and 2006 two large quantitative surveys were conducted within the Dutch military. The results of the survey in 2006 showed a slightly negative attitude of Dutch Defense employees towards multiculturalism and a strong preference for assimilation in the public context. Interestingly, in 2008 attitudes towards Multiculturalism had become more positive as compared to 2006. Although in 2008 a higher rate of employees preferred the integration strategy, the majority still favored migrants to adopt an assimilation strategy.     

A review of the acculturation experiences of international students

Universities in Western countries host a substantial number of international students. These students bring a range of benefits to the host country and in return the students gain higher education. However, the choice to study overseas in Western countries may present many challenges for the international student including the experience of acculturative stress and difficulties with adjustment to the environment of the host country. The present paper provides a review of current acculturation models as applied to international students. Given that these models have typically been empirically tested on migrant and refugee populations only, the review aims to determine the extent to which these models characterise the acculturation experience of international students. Literature pertaining to salient variables from acculturation models was explored including acculturative stressors encountered frequently by international students (e.g., language barriers, educational difficulties, loneliness, discrimination, and practical problems associated with changing environments). Further discussed was the subsequent impact of social support and coping strategies on acculturative stress experienced by international students, and the psychological and sociocultural adaptation of this student group. This review found that the international student literature provides support for some aspects of the acculturation models discussed; however, further investigation of these models is needed to determine their accuracy in describing the acculturation of international students. Additionally, prominent acculturation models portray the host society as an important factor influencing international students’ acculturation, which suggests the need for future intervention.     

Individualism-collectivism among Americans, Turks and Turkish immigrants to the U.S.

Whether immigrants to the U.S. from collectivist cultures will adopt American individualist values is an important question at the intersection of theories on acculturation and individualism/collectivism. According to the assimilation hypothesis, Turkish immigrants to the U.S. should become more individualistic with increasing length of stay. Alternatively, the immigrant interdependence hypothesis proposes that the exigencies of immigration require retaining or increasing collectivist values and behaviors, especially the willingness to rely on others. Measures of individualism and collectivism were obtained from Turkish immigrants to the U.S., Turks residing in Istanbul, and residents of Boston. Bostonians and Istanbul residents differed primarily on vertical collectivism, which is the tendency to subordinate ones own goals to those of in-group authority figures. Immigrants’ values did not change with increasing length of stay in the U.S., refuting the assimilation hypothesis. When immigrants were compared to non-immigrants, immigrants endorsed stronger horizontal and vertical collectivism and more desire to both give and receive, consistent with the immigrant interdependence hypothesis. However, this hypothesis was not uniformly supported. Compared to non-immigrants, immigrants reported more self-reliance with competition, and more internal locus of control, indicating a sense of agency and responsibility. Findings are consistent with the view that immigrants adjust in complex ways to their new society, and may have different temperaments than non-immigrants.     

“望子成龙”有效吗?--基于亲子教育期望偏差对学业成绩的影响研究

教育期望是个体、父母或教师对学习者未来教育水平的预期,对学业表现与个体发展影响巨大。大量研究忽视了父母和子女之间教育期望差异的普遍存在,而相关差异极易造成个体欠佳的行为表现。本文基于2014—2015年“中国教育追踪调查”数据,采用最小二乘回归(OLS)、倾向得分匹配(PSM)和Bootstrap法中介效应检验,探究亲子教育期望偏差对青少年学业成绩的影响及作用机制。研究发现:亲子教育期望偏差显著负向影响青少年的学业成绩。以强烈的“望子成龙”心愿为典型表现的上偏型亲子教育期望偏差并不合理,对学业成绩有显著负向影响,而下偏型亲子教育期望偏差与学业成绩之间不存在显著关系。心理压力、学业负担和负向情绪在上偏型亲子教育期望偏差和学业成绩之间起部分中介作用。与女生相比,男生的学业成绩更易受到上偏型亲子教育期望偏差的负向冲击。基于此,提出形成适度教育期望、增进亲子沟通交流等对策建议。