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Psychology 307: Cultural Psychology

Lecture 22

• The exam will be scored out of 50 points: 23 multiple choice questions (1 point each), 5-7 extended response questions (3-8 points; totaling 27 points).

• The exam is worth one-third of your final grade if you do not write the optional paper and one-quarter of your final grade if you do write the optional paper.

• The exam will assess your learning of the content of chapters 8, 10, 12, and 13 and related lecture material.

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Exam: April 20, 3:30-6:00, WOOD 2

• Please arrive on time to facilitate rapid distribution of the exams.

• Bring a pencil, eraser, pen, and student ID to the exam.

• All electronic devices must be stored prior to the exam.

• Bags and backpacks should be left at the front of the room. Valuables may be placed under your seat.

• Turn in extra copies of the exam at the start of the examination period; university policy requires that all exams be accounted for before students are permitted to leave the examination room.

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Office Hours

I will hold the following office hours in April to assist students with exam preparation:

Friday, April 12, 11:30-1:30Thursday, April 18, 10:30-12:00Friday, April 19: 12:00-2:00

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1. What is the typical process of adjustment during acculturation? (continued)

2.What are acculturation strategies?

3.What are the psychological correlates of distinct acculturation strategies?

Acculturation

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1. define the terms cultural distance and cultural fit.

2. distinguish between the one- and two-dimensional models of acculturation.

By the end of today’s class, you should be able to:

3. describe distinct acculturation strategies and their relations to psychological adjustment.

4. discuss the notion of the “single story” as it pertains to cultural psychology.

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What is the typical process of adjustment during acculturation? (continued)

● Among the factors that influence the process of adjustment during acculturation are:

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The homogeneity of the host culture.

Cultural distance (i.e., the degree to which the heritage culture and host culture are dissimilar or different).

Cultural fit (i.e., the degree to which one’s personality is similar to the dominant values of the host culture).

Acculturation strategies.

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● Early theories adopted a one-dimension or “mutual exclusion” model of acculturation:

What are acculturation strategies?

● Acculturation strategies are strategies that people use to reconcile conflicts between the norms and values of: (a) their culture of origin and (b) the dominant culture.

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Adopt norms Retain normsand values of and values ofdominant culture culture of origin

ASSIMILATION SEPARATION

Reject norms Reject norms and values of and values of culture of origin dominant culture

One-Dimensional Model of Acculturation

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● This model identifies two acculturation strategies: Assimilation and separation.

● In contrast, contemporary theories adopt a two-dimension model of acculturation:

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Two-Dimensional Model of Acculturation

Adopt normsand values of

dominant culture

Retain norms Reject normsand values of and values ofculture of origin culture of origin

Reject normsand values of

dominant culture

INTEGRATION

MARGINALIZATIONSEPARATION

ASSIMILATION

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● The most influential two-dimensional model (Berry, 1997) uses questions to describe the two dimensions:

“Is it of value to maintain cultural identity and characteristics?”

“Is it of value to maintain relationships with the larger society?”

● This model identifies two additional acculturation strategies: Integration and marginalization.

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● Some theorists (e.g., Coleman, 1995) maintain that the two-dimensional model fails to distinguish between two modes of integration: Alternation (reflects “cultural frame-switching”) and fusion (reflects “blending”).

● Research by Campbell et al. (2003) supports the distinction between alternation and fusion, suggesting five acculturation strategies—assimilation, separation, alternation, fusion, and marginalization.

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● To date, the bulk of research on acculturation strategies has focused on the 4 strategies identified by the two-dimensional model.

What are the psychological correlates of distinct acculturation strategies?

● In general, this research suggests that integration is the most adaptive acculturation strategy.

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● One study has examined the 5 acculturation strategies identified by Campbell et al. (2003):

Recruited South Asian Canadian participants.

Measured the following constructs:

1. Acculturation strategies.

2. Psychological adjustment (e.g., depression, anxiety, life satisfaction).

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3. Self-concept organization:

(a) Self-concept clarity (SCC): The extent to which self-beliefs are clearly and confidently defined, internally consistent, and temporally stable.

(b) Self-concept differentiation (SCD): The degree to which people see themselves as having different personality characteristics in different social roles.

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Found that:

(a) Alternation and fusion are used most frequently.

(b) Alternation is associated with relatively low levels of psychological adjustment; fusion is associated with relatively high levels of psychological adjustment.

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(d) Self-concept organization mediates the relationship between acculturation strategies and psychological adjustment.

(c) Alternation is associated with relatively low levels of SCC and high levels of SCD; fusion is associated with relatively high levels of SCC and low levels of SCD.

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1. What is the typical process of adjustment during acculturation? (continued)

2.What are acculturation strategies?

3.What are the psychological correlates of distinct acculturation strategies?

Acculturation

Psychology 307: Cultural Psychology

• Definitions• Research methods• Cultural transmission• Cultural evolution• Values• Self-concept and motivation• Personality

• Groups, relationships, attraction, and love

• Emotion• Morality• Perception and cognition• Mental health• Acculturation

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”