Acculturation preferences and behavioural tendencies between majority and minority groups: The mediating role of emotions

The main goal of this research was twofold. First, we aimed at determining how acculturation preferences and emotions were related to specific intergroup behavioural tendencies towards majority and minority groups. Second, we aimed at developing an intergroup behavioural tendencies scale that differentiates between valence (facilitation and harm) and intensity (active and passive). The role of intergroup contact was also examined, as it is a known predictor of intergroup prejudice. In order to fulfil these goals, we carried out two studies. In Study 1 , Spanish participants (N = 279) answered a questionnaire about Moroccans (a devalued group) or Ecuadorians (a valued group) by reporting their acculturation preferences for immigrants, their positive and negative emotions, quantity of contact with them and behavioural tendencies towards them. In Study 2 , Moroccans (N = 92) and Ecuadorians (N = 87) assessed Spaniards on these measures. Results confirmed the structure of the new behavioural tendencies scale across four groups of participants. Overall, findings also showed that acculturation preferences and quantity of contact indirectly predicted behavioural tendencies through positive emotions. This research contributes to knowledge on how the majority and minority's acculturation preferences are related to their emotions and specific dimensions of intergroup behavioural tendencies, confirming the predominant mediating role of positive emotions in this process.     

Minorities' acculturation and social adjustment: The moderator role of meta‐perceptions of majority's acculturation attitudes

Two studies addressed the role of Black meta‐perception of acculturation attitudes on the relation between minority acculturation attitudes and their social adjustment (school achievement and perceived quality of intergroup relations). Participants in both studies were Black Lusophone adolescents living in Portugal. Study 1 (N = 140) indicated that participants' attitude regarding the host culture was positively correlated with their school achievement and to their evaluation of intergroup relations. It also indicated that participants' meta‐perception of majority attitude add to the explained variance of participants' social adjustment. Study 2 (N = 62) manipulated the perceived majority high/low support of immigrants' learning the host culture. The dependent variable (DV) was perceived quality of intergroup relations. Only in the low support condition were participants' attitudes towards the host culture positively related to perceived quality of Black–White relationships. These results suggest that perceived social context is central to understand the relationship between minority adolescents' acculturation attitudes and key dimensions of their adjustment to host societies.     

Group efficacy as a moderator on the associations between perceived discrimination,acculturation orientations,and psychological well‐being

We investigated whether associations between perceived discrimination (PD), acculturation orientations (desire for culture maintenance and desire for contact), and well‐being (psychological well‐being and life satisfaction) were moderated by group efficacy beliefs—the extent to which group members believe in their ability to achieve social change collectively. We recruited 163 Syrian refugees (M_age = 36.43, SD = 12.68; 88 females and 75 males) from a south‐eastern city in Turkey. PD was negatively associated with desire for culture maintenance and positively associated with desire for contact, indicating an assimilation trend as a response to PD. Both acculturation orientations in turn predicted well‐being positively. However, the ones with higher group efficacy did not experience the detrimental effects of PD on well‐being and indicated a stronger desire for contacting mainstream society. Further conditional indirect effects demonstrated that only among the ones with lower group efficacy, PD was related to lower psychological well‐being through reduced culture maintenance. Findings indicate the critical role of group efficacy beliefs in the understanding of disadvantaged group members' reactions to PD.     

Implicit Theories About Willpower Predict Subjective Well‐Being

Lay theories about willpower—the belief that willpower is a limited versus nonlimited resource—affect self‐control and goal striving in everyday life (Job, Dweck, & Walton, 2010). Three studies examined whether willpower theories also relate to people's subjective well‐being by shaping the progress they make toward their personal goals. A cross‐sectional (Study 1) and two longitudinal studies (Studies 2 and 3) measured individuals’ willpower theories and different indicators of subjective well‐being. Additionally, Study 3 measured goal striving and personal goal progress. A limited theory about willpower was associated with lower subjective well‐being in a sample of working adults (Study 1, N = 258). Further, a limited theory predicted lower levels of well‐being at a time when students faced high self‐regulatory demands (Study 2, N = 196). Study 3 (N = 157) replicated the finding that students with a limited theory experienced lower well‐being in phases of high self‐regulatory demands and found that personal goal progress mediated this relationship. Results suggest that the belief that willpower is based on a limited resource has negative implications not only for self‐control but also for personal goal striving and subjective well‐being.     

Variants of biculturalism in migrant and host adolescents living in Italy and Spain: Testing the importance of life domains through the Relative Acculturation Extended Model

Several variants of biculturalism have recently been proposed (Schwartz, Birman, Benet‐Martínez, & Unger, 2016). Nevertheless, few studies have identified different types of bicultural individuals, and no one has addressed the possibility that these types could depend on acculturation domains. By using the Relative Acculturation Extended Model (RAEM), this study aimed to explore if different variants of biculturalism could be individuated, and if some of these variants were sensitive to life domains. Four samples of migrant and host adolescents living in Italy (n = 173 and n = 186) and Spain (n = 139 and n = 156) answered a questionnaire about acculturation perceptions and preferences in central and peripheral life domains. Together with acculturation options consistent with Berry's (1997) model (full‐assimilation, full‐separation and full‐marginalisation), some variants of biculturalism emerged from the latent class analysis: full‐high and full‐low integration, which were not sensitive to life domains; and “alternate” acculturation options that were sensitive to life domains, with participants switching from their original culture to the host culture according to the peripheral and central domains. Acculturation options varied across the four samples, with Italians switching more from one culture to another, and Spanish adolescents being more full‐high or full‐low integrated.     

Antecedents and consequences of acculturation preferences of non‐indigenous Chileans in relation to an indigenous minority: longitudinal survey evidence

Two longitudinal survey studies were conducted with non‐indigenous majority Chilean participants (Ns = 755 cross‐sectional, 198 longitudinal in study 1; 390 cross‐sectional, 333 longitudinal in study 2). In contrast to most previous research, the longitudinal design allowed to test directly the hypothesised causal direction of effects. There were two broad research questions. Firstly, what is the relationship between acculturation preferences of non‐indigenous majority members and negative affect towards the indigenous Mapuche? More specifically, does a preference for integration lead to less negative affect than a preference for assimilation, separation or marginalisation? Related to this, do the dimensions of culture maintenance and contact taken singly predict negative affect and/or vice versa? Secondly, does knowledge about the Mapuche causally and indirectly influence acculturation preferences, partially mediated by sympathy with the Mapuche? Results confirmed that knowledge influenced acculturation preferences, and that sympathy was a partial mediator. Acculturation preferences, in turn, influenced negative affect. The contact dimension underlying the categorical acculturation strategies was a predictor of outcomes, while the culture maintenance dimension was not. Implications of the findings are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A person‐centred approach to investigate the development trajectories of job‐related affective well‐being: A 10‐year follow‐up study

The primary aim of this three‐wave 10‐year follow‐up study was to investigate the intra‐individual change trajectories of job‐related affective well‐being among Finnish managers (n= 402). Job‐related affective well‐being as indicated by anxiety, depression, comfort, and enthusiasm was measured in 1996, 1999, and 2006. The characteristics of the trajectories were sought from experienced career disruptions (i.e., periods of unemployment or lay‐offs) and perceived job insecurity. The growth mixture modelling (GMM) revealed altogether three latent trajectories that differed from each other in their mean levels and regard to changes in job‐related affective well‐being over time: (1) high and improving well‐being (n= 347), (2) decreased well‐being (n= 32), and (3) low and improving well‐being (n= 23). The associations between job‐related affective well‐being trajectories and career disruptions depended upon the timing of the career disruptions. In addition, perceived job insecurity is associated with concurrently decreased occupational well‐being. Overall, the results highlighted both typical and untypical development trajectories of job‐related affective well‐being and related career characteristics.     

Romantic competence,healthy relationship functioning,and well‐being in emerging adults

A skills‐based model of healthy relationship functioning—romantic competence (RC)—is described. Its association with relationship and individual well‐being was examined in three studies of emerging adults using the Romantic Competence Interview for Emerging Adults (RCI–EA), which measures competence as the interplay of three skill domains. Across studies (women [n = 102], women and men [n = 187], romantic couples [n = 89]), RC was associated with greater security, healthier decision making, greater satisfaction, and fewer internalizing symptoms. The RCI–EA skill domains formed a latent factor and were associated with self‐reports reflective of RC, supporting the construct's validity. The RC construct may thus provide a theory‐driven, overarching way to characterize healthy romantic functioning that can reduce negative outcomes.     

The mixed blessings of migration: Life satisfaction and self‐esteem over the course of migration

We investigated the psychological adaptation of Ingrian–Finnish migrants from Russia to Finland between 2008 and 2013. Pre‐migration data (N = 225) were collected at the Finnish language courses that were part of the immigration training program. The three post‐migration follow‐ups were conducted half a year (N = 155), and 2 (N = 133) and 3 years (N = 85) after migration. Well‐being was assessed with measures of Life Satisfaction and Self‐Esteem. Life Satisfaction increased from pre‐migration to the first post‐migration measurement point, after which it stabilized. Self‐Esteem decreased throughout the study. Variables reflecting adjustment to the event of migration (e.g., acculturation stress, socio‐cultural adaptation) were primarily associated with well‐being at the first post‐migration measurement point. More general determinants of well‐being (e.g., social support and subjective economic situation) were more consistently associated with well‐being throughout the study. The results suggest that migration can be beneficial to some but detrimental to other types of well‐being.     

Generational differences in acculturation among Asian families in Canada: A comparison of Vietnamese,Korean, and East‐Indian groups

By examining generational differences between adolescents and their parents, the present study attempts to establish which specific aspects of strong kinship are maintained among Asian groups undergoing acculturation. Vietnamese (adolescent N = 104; parent N = 70), Korean (N = 111; N = 83), and East‐Indian (N = 97; N = 84) families were compared for family relations and acculturation attitudes. As compared to the Anglo‐Celtic group (adolescent N = 151; parent N = 116), Asian adolescents maintained stronger responsibilities within the family while disagreeing more with parents about their independence and roles in decision making, and expressing different preferences about intercultural contacts. However, since both parents and adolescents from the three groups clearly differ from each other for both family relations and acculturation attitudes, it is argued that generational differences should be particularized by each group's selective emphasis upon different cultural issues.     

The Benefits of Benevolence: Basic Psychological Needs,Beneficence, and the Enhancement of Well‐Being

Pro‐social behaviors have been associated with enhanced well‐being, but what psychological mechanisms explain this connection? Some theories suggest that beneficence—the sense of being able to give—inherently improves well‐being, whereas evidence from self‐determination theory (Weinstein & Ryan, 2010) shows that increases in well‐being are mediated by satisfaction of innate psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Here we simultaneously assess these two explanations. Study 1 (N = 335) used a cross‐sectional survey with an Internet sample to develop a measure to assess beneficence satisfaction. The next two cross‐sectional Internet‐sample studies tested mediators between pro‐social behavior and general well‐being (Study 2, N = 332) and situational peak moment well‐being (Study 3, N = 180). A fourth study (N = 85) used a diary method with university students to assess daily fluctuations in well‐being associated with needs and beneficence. It was shown across all studies that both the three psychological needs and beneficence satisfaction mediate the relations between pro‐social actions and well‐being, with all four factors emerging as independent predictors. Together, these studies underscore the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in explaining the well‐being benefits of benevolence, and they also point to the independent role of beneficence as a source of human wellness.     

Relational mechanisms in the goal pursuit process

Four studies tested a model for goal pursuit, which proposed three relational mechanisms that yield motives for a goal. These motives, in turn, predict goal outcomes, but the association was expected to be stronger among women than among men. Study 1 (n = 116) tested the model for a short‐term, collaborative project between strangers; Study 2 (n = 186) examined parents being motivated by their children to be healthier; Study 3 (n = 124) examined nontraditional college students' career searches; and Study 4 (n = 181) examined young adults' progress toward a self‐improvement goal. Results showed support for the model in all four studies, with the exception that feeling accountable to others was not a consistent predictor of relational motives.     

Acculturation discrepancies and well‐being: the moderating role of conformity

This study examines associations of immigrants' well‐being with the discrepancies they perceive between their own acculturation attitudes and the acculturation expectations of members of the host society. A hundred immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union reported their personal value priorities, their satisfaction with life, their attitudes towards acculturation, and their beliefs about what members of the dominant society require of them. The immigrants believed that Israelis want them to relinquish their distinctive identity and to assimilate more than they themselves wish to do. As hypothesized, perceived pressure to assimilate correlated negatively with life satisfaction only among those who value conformity, but not among others. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The structure of self–other overlap and its relationship to perspective taking

Two studies tested whether “self–other overlap” is a multidimensional construct, with only some dimensions affected by perspective taking. In Study 1, participants (n = 132) completed several previously used measures of self–other overlap for their best friend and acquaintance. Factor analyses revealed 2 distinct dimensions of self–other overlap—perceived closeness and overlapping representations. Perceived closeness but not overlapping representations was generally associated with relationship quality. Study 2 (n = 118) manipulated perspective taking of a stranger. Results replicated a factor structure similar to Study 1, and found that perspective taking had different effects on the 2 dimensions of overlap. These results are discussed with regards to the debate over self–other overlap as a mediator of perspective taking's pro‐social effects.     

Self–Observer Rating Discrepancies of Managers in Asia: A study of derailment characteristics and behaviors in Southern and Confucian Asia

Antecedents to self–observer rating discrepancies in multisource instruments have been established at the individual and organizational level. However, research examining cultural antecedents is limited, which is particularly relevant as multisource instruments gain popularity around the world. We investigated multisource ratings of 860 Asian managers from the regions of Southern Asia (n=261) and Confucian Asia (n=599) and analyzed cultural differences in self–observer rating discrepancies. Multivariate regression procedures revealed that the self–observer rating discrepancy was wider for managers from Southern Asia as compared with Confucian Asia. The reason for the discrepancy was driven by managers' self‐ratings being different across cultures than by observer ratings from managers' bosses, direct reports, or peers; the predictor is related to self‐ratings not observer ratings, producing differential self–observer ratings due to self‐ratings. We discuss cultural differences in self‐ and observer ratings within Asia and provide implications for the practice of multisource assessments.     

The Moderating Role of Ethnic Identity and Social Support on Relations Between Well‐Being and Academic Performance1

The role of social support and ethnic identity in moderating the effects of factors that may emanate from stereotype threat on academic performance was examined. Depressive and anxiety symptoms of ethnic minority (n = 65) and Euro‐Caucasian students (n = 198) were tracked through their first year of university. Although students' symptoms did not differ at the outset of the year, higher symptoms uniquely evident among ethnic minority students at midyear were associated with poorer final grades, and reduced well‐being was sustained at the end of the year. Social support from friends and fewer unsupportive interactions predicted greater success among ethnic minority students. Although both groups benefited from academic support, such support was perceived as less available to minority students.     

Materialism lowers well‐being: The mediating role of the need for autonomy – correlational and experimental evidence

While there is evidence from the self‐determination perspective for the mediation of basic needs satisfaction in the materialism–well‐being link, no research to date has attempted to examine the relative contribution of the three needs to the mediating effect. Given that the predictive value of psychological needs on well‐being depends upon the match between the need and life domains, in two studies we investigate the differential mediating role of all three needs in the negative relationship between materialism and well‐being. In study 1, 231 adult participants self‐reported their materialistic attitudes, basic needs satisfaction and well‐being. In study 2 (N = 82 undergraduates), we experimentally activated materialistic thoughts and examined their effects on need satisfaction and state well‐being as compared to a neutral control condition. Study 1 furnished cross‐sectional evidence that materialism diminishes well‐being through lower satisfaction of the psychological need for autonomy only. Study 2 showed that experimental activation of materialism via short‐term exposure to pictorial consumer‐cues leads to lower satisfaction of the need for autonomy, which in turn produces higher negative affect among participants. The findings point towards the importance of considering the specific role of the psychological need for autonomy in the materialism–well‐being link.     

The Roles of Values,Behavior, and Value‐Behavior Fit in the Relation of Agency and Communion to Well‐Being

Four studies examined whether agency and communion values, behaviors, or an interaction between values and behaviors (value‐behavior fit) would predict well‐being. In addition, Study 2 examined whether agency and communion goals, behaviors, or goal‐behavior fit would predict well‐being. In all four studies, participants completed online questionnaires containing measures of agency and communion values, behaviors, and well‐being. In Studies 1 and 4, participants were recruited from the general population (respectively, N = 371, M_age = 37.49, and N = 133, M_age = 36.59). In Studies 2 and 3, participants were undergraduate students (respectively, N = 239, M_age = 20.8, and N = 242, M_age = 21.6). All four studies consistently found that agency and communion behaviors were significantly positively correlated with both subjective and psychological well‐being. There was no strong indication that either values were directly associated with well‐being. Neither was there any indication that well‐being was predicted by value‐behavior fit. The implications of these findings for theory and improving well‐being are discussed.     

Infants prefer motionese to adult‐directed action

In two studies, we investigated infants’ preference for infant‐directed (ID) action or ‘motionese’ ( Brand, Baldwin & Ashburn, 2002 ) relative to adult‐directed (AD) action. In Study 1, full‐featured videos were shown to 32 6‐ to 8‐month‐olds, who demonstrated a strong preference for ID action. In Study 2, infants at 6–8 months (n= 28) and 11–13 months (n= 24) were shown either standard ID and AD clips, or clips in which demonstrators’ faces were blurred to obscure emotional and eye‐gaze information. Across both ages, infants showed evidence of preferring ID to AD action, even when faces were blurred. Infants did not have a preference for still‐frame images of the demonstrators, indicating that the ID preference arose from action characteristics, not demonstrators’ general appearance. These results suggest that motionese enhances infants’ attention to action, possibly supporting infants’ learning.