Acculturation Cultural influences

on individual behavior
Topic headings​​ Content headings​​
The individual and  Social Identity Theory​​
the group​​ • Social groups​​
Social Cognitive Theory​​
Formation of stereotypes and their effects on behavior​​

Cultural origins of ​ Culture and its influence on behavior and cognition​​

behavior and cognition​​ • Cultural groups​​
Cultural dimensions​​
Cultural influences on  Enculturation​​
individual behavior​​ • Norms​​
Acculturation​​
• Assimilation/assimilate​​
​
+ Research Methods​​& Ethical considerations​​
​
Explaining acculturation

1. Definition
• Acculturation is a process of psychological change as a result of contact
and interaction between cultures.
2. How do cultures come into contact with each other?
• Migration
• Trade
• Immigrant communities
• Travel
• Globalization
• Internet
Berry's Acculturation
Model
• Berry (1974) proposed four
different acculturation strategies
used by individuals: 
1. Assimilation
2. Integration
3. Separation
4. Marginalization
 • Assimilation is when an individual abandons
their original culture and adopts the cultural
behaviors and values of their new culture.  
• Integration is when there is an interest in
adopting the behaviors and values of the new
culture, while still maintaining the original
Berry's culture.
Acculturatio • Separation is when migrants maintain their own
culture and minimize contact with the new
n Model culture.  
• Marginalization results when it is not possible
to maintain one’s original culture, and, because
of exclusion or discrimination, it is also not
possible to assimilate into the new culture. 
 Berry's Acculturation Model

Accept Host Culture Assimilation Integration

Reject Host Culture Marginalization Separation

Rejects Home Culture Retains Home Culture

Effects of
acculturation
• Acculturative stress – the tension that arises
from maintaining your own culture and
changing in order to fit in.
• Often resulting in anxiety, depression, and other
forms of mental and physical stress.
• It is often referred to as “culture shock.”
• Acculturation gaps – generational differences
that may lead to conflict within the family.
• Children may not turn to their parents with
problems and concerns; instead, they will turn to
peers or adults in the new culture for advice.
Limitations to Berry’s acculturation model
• It focuses on the individual, rather than the host culture, so the bi-
directional nature of the relationship is underplayed.
• It implies a hierarchical power relationship between the two
cultures, which may not exist.
• Individuals may not fall clearly into one of Berry’s categories, and
there may be movement back and forth between them, depending
on the situation.
• Acculturation is a multi-faceted process, and the model does not
reflect all the factors that could be involved, such as the reason for
migration, cultural dimensions, and the level of similarity of the
two cultures.
Studies of acculturation and its
influence on individual
behavior

These studies focus on the experience of

immigrants.
Acculturative stress
• Miranda and Matheny (2000)
• Lueck and Wilson (2010) 
Miranda and Matheny (2000)
• Aim: to investigate the factors that influenced acculturative
stress in Latin American immigrants. 
• Sample: 197 Spanish-speaking participants from several Latin
and South American countries. 
• Method: the participants were provided with a questionnaire
that asked about family cohesion, stress levels, and stress
coping strategies they used. 
Miranda and Matheny (2000)
Results
• Immigrants who had a high level of proficiency in English, a
cohesive family structure, and coping strategies, had less
acculturative stress than those who did not. 
• The longer an immigrant was in the United States, the more
adjusted the felt, and the lower their acculturative stress
levels were. 
• The study shows that there are many protective factors that
may influence the extent to which an individual acculturates
and the effect that this will have on mental health. 
Miranda and Matheny (2000)
Evaluation

• The study was a correlational, so we cannot establish a cause-and-effect

relationship. 
• The study has low ecological validity since the task of filling in a questionnaire
is quite artificial. 
• Also, it is difficult to generalize because the study only considered Latino
cultures acculturating to American culture. 
• We do not know if other cultures would show the same level of
acculturation or if the host culture also plays a role in the acculturation
process. 
Lueck and Wilson (2010)
• Aim: to investigate the variables that may predict acculturative
stress in a nationally representative sample of Asian immigrants
and Asian Americans.
• Sample:  2095 Asian Americans. 
• 1271 of the participants were first-generation immigrants who
were 18 years and older when they went to the US.  
• The rest of the sample was born in the US to first-generation
immigrant parents. 
• The sample consisted of several different Asian cultures, including
Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese.
 • The researchers carried out semi-structured
interviews.  
Lueck and • The interviewers had cultural and linguistic
backgrounds like those of the sample
Wilson (2010) population.
Method • The interviews measured the participants’
level of acculturative stress:
 language proficiency, language preference,
discrimination, social networks, family cohesion,
and socioeconomic status on acculturative
stress.
Lueck and Wilson (2010)
Results

In 1433 of the 2095 interviews, participants were found to have

acculturative stress ==> 70% of the sample.
• A bilingual language preference contributed to lower !
acculturative stress.  llo!
He
• Asians who can use both languages equally with their
friends are able to build up networks of support within and
outside their community. 
• Stress may arise when Asian Americans do not know the
native language well enough to discuss sensitive issues with
family members at home or in the native country who may
have limited or no abilities in English.
Lueck and Wilson (2010)
Results

• Negative treatment – including prejudice, xenophobia,

harassment, and threats - significantly contributed to
higher acculturative stress.
• Sharing similar values and beliefs as a family significantly
contributed to lowering acculturative stress
• Acculturative stress was significantly lower among those
who were very satisfied with their economic opportunities
in the US.
Lueck and Wilson (2010)
Evaluation

The researchers carried out semi-structured interviews. 

• The strength is that these are more personal than a
questionnaire, and the researcher can ask follow-up
questions.
•  The limitation is that carrying out large numbers of
interviews is time-consuming and costly. 
• Interviews are also open to interviewer effects - where
characteristics of the interviewer may lead the interviewee to
disclose less (or more) information.
Lueck and Wilson (2010)
Evaluation
• As in Miranda & Matheney (2000), the constructs of acculturative stress and
level of acculturation are relatively subjective.  
• Measuring the extent to which one shares values with one's family assumes that
the values of Asian culture are the same for all families.
• Economic satisfaction is subjective, so it is difficult to say that a reported level of
economic satisfaction by one person is equivalent to that same level of reported
satisfaction by another person.
 • The study used a very large sample for an interview study. 
Lueck and • The sample is representative in the sense that it is diverse:
Wilson (2010) 600 Chinese, 508 Filipino, 520 Vietnamese, and 467 other
Asians.  
Evaluation • As in Miranda & Matheny, there are certain assumptions
made about "Asians" which could result in the "ecological
fallacy" - for example, assumptions that the cultures are
collectivistic without actually measuring each individual's
level of collectivism.
Methodological issues in acculturation research
1. Language barriers
• How were these overcome in the studies you have
discussed?
2. Extraneous variables, e.g., age, length of residency,
education, religion, social class, trauma.
• How do these interact with acculturation strategies?
• May be difficult to generalize to other populations and
generate theory
• May lead to high attrition rate or exclusion of key groups,
e.g., illegal status
Methodological issues in acculturation research
3.  Ethical considerations when conducting research  with 
immigrants
• Participants must be aware of their rights (informed
consent, right to withdraw, confidentiality)
• Confidentiality is especially important if some participants
are illegal or undocumented.
• Researchers may be seen as representing authority which
may make participants uncomfortable or anxious
(protection from mental harm).