Epidemiological studies indicate that between 8 and 20% of children suffer from an anxiety disorder (Costello, Egger, & Angold, 2004). Researchers have worked for many years to map the developmental trajectory of anxiety in children, yet the pathways remain unclear. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between specific predictors and anxiety in middle school Caucasian and African American adolescents. A secondary purpose was to explore whether acculturation contributes to the prediction of anxiety, after controlling for exposure to negative life events, in the African American adolescents. For the total sample, results indicated that negative life events, social support, coping, and ethnicity were all significant predictors of anxiety, accounting for 18.9% of the variance in anxiety scores. These relationships were confirmed in separate analyses for the African American and Caucasian youth. Furthermore, acculturation moderated the relationship between negative life events and anxiety in the African American sample, as anticipated. More specifically, the relationship between negative life events and anxiety was stronger for those adolescents reporting more affiliation with their own culture. These findings suggest that culture is an important context in understanding the development of anxiety and that it requires additional exploration to understand its relations to the development of mental health problems more broadly. / Master of Science

Rationale: Published studies have shown that immigrants undergo dietary acculturation which may have positive or negative impact on their health. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate this critical issue of dietary acculturation and any possible influence on the health status of newly arrived international students at Virginia Tech in Fall 2010. Design: In this study weight, fasting blood glucose and blood pressure of 35 international students (age 18-36 years) were determined at three time points, 5-6 weeks apart. Participants filled out a 20-item-questionnaire addressing alteration in the native and American dietary habits. Furthermore, 24 hrs dietary recalls and frequency of consuming the most popular food items in the US was assessed. Results: Total sample population (TSP) had a significant increase in average weight by 2.79 lbs from visit 1 (V1) to visit 3 (V3) (p=0.0082), Participants who gained weight (PGW; n=10) had an average increase by 9 lbs. Country wise, Chinese had a statistically significant average increase in their weights by 4.16 lbs (p=0.0077) whereas, Indians and Germans had an average increase by 2.36 lbs and 1.28 lbs respectively. Gender wise, the average increase in weight for females was 3.99 lbs (p=0.0015) while for males 1.52 lbs from V1 to V3. There were no significant differences in total caloric consumption from V1 to V3 for both groups of international students. There were no significant changes in the fasting blood glucose and systolic blood pressure from V1 to V3. There was an increase in frequency of consuming high calorie American food items in V3 when compared with V1. Frequency of burger consumption was highly increased in the TSP group while bagels were significantly increased in PGW group. There was an overall increasing trend towards American diet, cooking and eating habits. Finally, we conclude that the international students are gradually acculturating to the American diet and have impact on their weight which may potentially have a negative impact on their health status. Future studies and orientation program catered to the needs of adjusting to acculturation process of international students are recommended. / Master of Science

Text in English, summary in English and Afrikaans / Acculturation refers to a culture change as a result of continuous and firsthand contact between the minority culture and the majority culture. Through urbanization, the black person is exposed to the Western culture by means of integrated workplaces, schools and neighborhoods. During the acculturation process, distinct changes occur within the individual on interpersonal and intrapersonal levels. Self-actualization is a familiar concept in the Humanistic paradigm and refers to the notion of living to one's full potential in order to become the kind of individual one wants to be. This research aims to investigate the impact of acculturation on the level of self-actualization of black personnel practitioners. A sample of 218 black personnel practitioners was used, consisting of an equal number living in urban and rural areas. The results of this introductory study indicated that urbanized black personnel practitioners show a higher level of self-actualization than respondents residing in rural areas. / Akkulturasie verwys na 'n kultuurverandering as 'n uitvloeisel van deurlopende en eerstehandse kontak tussen die minderheidskultuur en die dominante kultuur. Deur verstedeliking word die swart persoon blootgestel aan die Westerse kultuur, asook deur integrasie in die werkplek, skole en woongebiede. Gedurende hierdie akkulturasieproses vind daar definitiewe veranderinge plaas in individue op inter- en intrapersoonlike vlak. Selfaktualisering is 'n bekende konsep in die Humanistiese paradigma en verwys no die strewe van 'n individu om sy volle potensiaal te bereik en daardeur die persoon te word wat hy graag wil wees. Hierdie navorsing het ten doel om die invloed van akkulturasie op die vlak van self-aktualisering van swart personeelpraktisyns te ondersoek. 'n Steekproef van 218 swart personeelpraktisyns is gebruik waarvan gelyke getalle woonagtig is in stedelike en landelike gebiede. Die resultaat van hierdie voorlopige ondersoek toon dat verstedelikte swart personeelpraktisyns 'n hoer vlak van self-aktualisering toon as respondente wat in landelike gebiede woon. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M. Comm. (Industrial Psychology)

The United States is home to nearly three million Asian Indians. The difference in Asian Indian and American cultures creates a need for Asian Indians to acculturate, upon migration to the U.S. It has been theorized that acculturation becomes harder when the two cultures of contact are dissimilar. Particularly, immigrant women and children have been found to be more vulnerable than men to acculturative stress, where acculturative stress is defined as the psychological impact of adaptation to a new culture. Hence, this study focuses on acculturation of Asian Indian women and specifically on factors influencing their acculturation. Research findings from this study on acculturation of Asian Indian women provide information, useful for public policy makers. They have been utilized to develop a program (used by settlement service providers) designed specifically to facilitate acculturation of Asian Indian women in the U.S. A two-dimensional model developed by J.W. Berry, a prominent researcher in the field of acculturation, is employed to classify the acculturation process of Asian Indian women who were part of this study. Based on Berry’s model, the acculturation process of an immigrant can be described by one of the following four strategies: 1) Assimilation, 2) Integration, 3) Separation, or 4) Marginalization. According to Berry, the Integration strategy is considered the most effective acculturation strategy in terms of long-term health and wellbeing of the individual. This study employed a cross-sectional design, using quantitative methods for data analysis. Data were collected by means of a web-based acculturation survey that was developed as part of the study. Data analysis indicated that a majority of the Asian Indian women adopted the Integration strategy. A conceptual model was developed and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the key acculturation factors that influenced Asian Indian women using the Integration strategy. These identified key factors helped to understand the cultural adaptation of Asian Indian women.

The purpose of this study is to review the lives of three immigrant women from the town of Doctor Mora, Guanajuato, Mexico. The following questions were used to gather and analyze the data: 1) How were their lives prior to migrating to the U.S.? 2) What was their experience crossing the border? 3) What are their life experiences in the U.S.? This study is intended to analyze the history and path of acculturation of these three immigrant women. This study analyzes Alejandro Portes's theory of selective acculturation, concept of funds of knowledge, Gordon's classical theory of assimilation, and the concepts of cultural and social capital. Selective acculturation theory is applied as a basis for analysis of the case studies. These studies were conducted using observational, audio-taped and open ended interviews. This study took place in Tucson, Arizona. Interviews took place in Spanish, the interviews were transcribed, translated, verified and analyzed. Findings show the persistence of these participants to become part of American society through education and involvement in the host society, utilizing their inherent cultural and social capital and supporting the theory of selective acculturation path. The next section gives a more detailed introduction of this study.

South Africa is no longer trapped in an apartheid era and is now perceived as a multinational state, implying that not only the composition of labour forces have changed, but all other institutions have developed into being more representative of all races. Thus whilst the workplace demographics are rapidly changing, more individuals are preparing themselves to enter the workplace. As a result more diverse cultures also prevail within hostels of higher educational institutions. The objectives of this study were to investigate individual preferences in terms of acculturation strategies as utilised by students in hostels of a higher education institution. Another important objective was to understand the effect of acculturation strategies has on the general well-being and health of individuals. In order to achieve these objectives, Berry's bi-directional Acculturation Model, as well as the Interactive Acculturation Model was used. A cross-sectional survey design with an availability sample (N = 245) was used, taken from hostel students of 3 higher education institution in South Africa. The questionnaire consisted of various items on the acculturation scale, as well as a biographical questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, factor analyses, Cronbach alpha coefficients, MANOVAs, Multiple Regression Analysis, and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were used to analyse the data. The results pointed out that females preferred Separation or Assimilation, while males preferred Integration as acculturation strategy. Female hostels preferred Separation as acculturation strategy and male hostels preferred Integration as acculturation strategy. Acculturation strategies in terms of race showed that White groups preferred integration and African groups preferred Separation. Regarding the effect that acculturation strategies have on health, males experienced high levels of physical health problems. Recommendations were made for further research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Dans une société américaine multiculturelle et multiraciale, la question de l’identité indienne est aujourd’hui l’objet de beaucoup de contestations et de polémiques. Souvent liées au métissage ou au quantum sanguin des individus, ces contestations poussent les tribus à redéfinir leur identité pour préserver leur souveraineté. Initialement identifiés comme l’une des cinq tribus dites « civilisées » par les Européens, qui jugent leurs efforts d’adaptation et leur recherche d’un consensus comme le signe de leur acculturation fulgurante, les Cherokees se battent au fil des siècles pour sauvegarder l’identité tribale et la souveraineté à laquelle le gouvernement américain a toujours voulu les faire renoncer. Ces attaques les amènent en 2007 à radicaliser les critères d’appartenance à la tribu et à exclure certains membres sur la base de quantums sanguins empruntés aux Européens, et qu’ils étaient jusqu’alors l’une des seules tribus à n’avoir pas adoptés. / Native American identity has always been a highly controversial issue, all the more so in today’s multicultural and multiracial American society. The questions raised are often based on intermarriages, race-mixing or blood quantum, prompting the tribes to redefine their tribal identity to preserve their sovereignty: a high native blood quantum supposedly correlates with cultural authenticity or ethnic identity, while race mixing is inevitably associated with cultural loss. Originally identified as one of the five “civilized” tribes by the Europeans, who regarded their efforts to adapt and reach tribal consensus as a sign of the rapid acculturation of the tribe, the Cherokees have been fighting ever since to preserve their tribal identity and sovereignty. They chose in 2007 to adopt more radical requirements for tribal membership and disenrolled some of their long-time citizens, on an Indian blood quantum basis that they were one of the last tribe not to have considered a valid criterion for identification.

La présente thèse interroge la relation entre le lieu et l'individu. Plus particulièrement, elle porte sur l'étude des réactions émotionnelles, cognitives et comportementales du client dans un espace de réhabilitation selon son niveau d'acculturation. Il s'agit des clients issus de deux cultures différentes (syrienne et française) et de leur perception d'un espace de service fortement marqué culturellement (une ancienne maison à cour réhabilitée en restaurant). L'objectif de cette thèse est de démontrer le rôle qu'exerce l'acculturation dans le processus d'influence des éléments de l'environnement physique de service sur les réponses du client. Le modèle conceptuel élaboré met en exergue les liens de causalité entre l'environnement physique perçu, les états émotionnels, la qualité de service perçue et les intentions comportementales. Il mobilise également le concept d'acculturation pour vérifier son rôle dans le processus de perception de l'espace de service. A cette fin, deux études (qualitative et quantitative) ont été menées auprès de clients des restaurants de la vieille ville de Damas en Syrie. Les résultats ont permis de retirer trois enseignements. (1) Les principaux facteurs de l'environnement physique de service perçus par le client sont l'ambiance, le design et les facteurs sociaux ; (2) Le niveau d'acculturation du client modère les effets des éléments de l'espace de service sur l'évaluation de la qualité de l'offre et sur l'intention de fidélité ; (3) La perception de l'environnement physique de service peut être influencée par certaines variables individuelles de nature sociodémographique / This research aims to investigate the relationship that exists between individuals and their surroundings. Specifically, we study cognitive, emotional and behavioral responses of clients to elaborate on the causal relations that exist between perceived physical environment, individuals' emotional states, perceived service quality and behavioral intentions. In addition, we also integrate the concept of acculturation to understand how an individual's richness of exposure to local culture influences his/her perception vis-à-vis the service facility with substantial cultural relevance. To explore these concepts, we study this phenomenon across two different cultures (Syrian and French) for restaurants that are set up at locations holding significant cultural value (i.e. old courtyards rehabilitated as restaurants). Two different studies (qualitative and quantitative) were conducted with the clients of restaurants in the old city of Damascus, Syria. Results lead to three principles findings: (1) Principles factors that influence client's perception of physical characteristics of a service setting are ambiance, design and social factors; (2) The acculturation level of a client moderates the relationships between physical characteristics of an environment and client evaluations of the service and his/her loyalty intentions; and (3) perception of the physical characteristics of a service environment is influenced by certain socio- demographic variables of an individual.

Chan, Yuen Pik. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 29-33). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in Chinese.

L’époque dans laquelle nous vivons nous rappelle constamment que la lutte contre la discrimination est un enjeu majeur de nos sociétés. En psychologie sociale, l’étude des causes de la discrimination est au cœur des recherches depuis de nombreuses années. Néanmoins, les travaux menés à ce jour proposent souvent des explications présentées comme identiques dans tous les pays et dans toutes les cultures. Dans le cadre des recherches portant sur les préjugés et la discrimination, des études récentes ont mis en lumière l’existence de normes spécifiques à chaque culture, découlant des lois mises en place dans chaque pays et centrées sur les comportements à adopter pour s’intégrer au sein de chaque société : les normes culturelles d’intégration. L’existence de telles normes dans une société donnée a notamment pour effet d’influencer le niveau de préjugés de ses membres. Sur la base de ces travaux, l’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier l’effet des normes culturelles d’intégration sur l’émergence de comportements de discrimination. Plus particulièrement, cette thèse se centre sur un principe politique peu étudié en psychologie : la laïcité. De précédents travaux ont montré que ce principe peut être interprété de deux façons très différentes : une forme historique, inclusive, et une forme nouvelle, exclusive. Les normes culturelles relatives à ce principe de laïcité peuvent-elles être considérées comme des facteurs importants dans l’émergence de discrimination à l’encontre des minorités ethniques ou religieuses ? Afin d’étudier cette question fondamentale, cette thèse est structurée en six chapitres : deux chapitres théoriques (chapitres 1 et 6) et quatre chapitres empiriques, composés de huit études (chapitres 2, 3, 4 et 5). Le chapitre 1 introduit théoriquement les différentes notions abordées dans la thèse. Le chapitre 2 est composé de deux études pilotes qui constituent le socle de base de cette thèse. L’étude 1 a pour objectif de comparer cinq pays, dont la France, en termes de normes culturelles d’intégration. Cette étude met en avant l’importance de la norme de nouvelle laïcité en France. L’étude 2 a pour objectif de valider une tâche informatisée permettant de mesurer les comportements de discrimination. Au cours du chapitre 3, deux études (études 3 et 4) ont été conduites pour tester l’effet des normes de laïcité nouvelle et historique sur les comportements de discrimination. Le contexte socio-politique au moment de la passation de ces études nous ont également amenés à considérer l’influence du contexte culturel réel sur l’interprétation du principe de laïcité. Le chapitre 4 vient explorer un autre type d’influence des normes d’intégration. Les deux études de ce chapitre (études 5 et 6) suggèrent en effet, à la fois de manière expérimentale (étude 5) et auprès d’un échantillon tout-venant (étude 6), que les normes d’intégration influencent les exigences des membres de groupes majoritaires concernant les stratégies d’acculturation des minorités. Enfin, le chapitre 5 permet d’initier l’étude de l’effet des normes de laïcité dans un pays autre que la France : la Belgique. Pris dans leur ensemble, les résultats de cette thèse mettent en évidence l’importance de considérer l’influence du contexte culturel dans les études de psychologie social. Plus spécifiquement, ces études suggèrent que les normes d’intégration propres à chaque culture peuvent avoir un effet direct et un effet indirect sur les attitudes et comportements intergroupes. De plus, les travaux de cette thèse suggèrent également que le contexte culturel « réel » dans lequel est réalisé une étude peut venir influencer l’effet de manipulations expérimentales réalisées en laboratoire. [...] / The times in which we live constantly remind us that the fight against discrimination is a major challenge for our societies. In social psychology, the study of the causes of discrimination has been at the heart of research for many years. Nevertheless, the work done to date often offers explanations presented as identical in all countries and in all cultures. In the context of research on prejudice and discrimination, recent studies have highlighted the existence of culture-specific norms, derived from laws in each country and focused on the behaviors to be adopted to integrate within each society: the cultural norms of integration. The existence of such norms in a given society influences the level of prejudice of its members. On the basis of this work, the aim of this thesis is to study the effect of cultural integration norms on the emergence of discriminatory behaviors. Specifically, this thesis focuses on a political principle little studied in psychology: laïcité. Previous work has shown that this principle can be interpreted in two very different ways: a historical, inclusive form, and a new, exclusive form. Can cultural norms relating to this principle of laïcité be considered as important factors in the emergence of discrimination against ethnic or religious minorities? In order to study this fundamental question, this thesis is structured in six chapters: two theoretical chapters (chapters 1 and 6) and four empirical chapters, composed of eight studies (chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5). Chapter 1 introduces theoretically the different notions addressed in the thesis. Chapter 2 is composed of two pilot studies that form the basis of this thesis. Study 1 aims to compare five countries, including France, in terms of cultural norms of integration. This study highlights the importance of the norm of new laïcité in France. Study 2 aims to validate a computerized task to measure discriminatory behavior. In Chapter 3, two studies (Studies 3 and 4) were conducted to test the effect of new and historical laïcité norms on discrimination behaviors. The socio-political context at the time of these studies also led us to consider the influence of the real cultural context on the interpretation of the principle of laïcité. Chapter 4 explores another type of influence of integration norms. In fact, the two studies in this chapter (studies 5 and 6) suggest, both experimentally (Study 5) and from a more diverse sample (Study 6), that integration norms influence the requirements of members of majority groups concerning minority acculturation strategies. Finally, Chapter 5 introduces the study of the effect of laïcité norms in a country other than France: Belgium. Taken together, the results of this thesis highlight the importance of considering the influence of cultural context in social psychology studies. More specifically, these studies suggest that culture-specific integration norms can have a direct and indirect effect on intergroup attitudes and behaviors. In addition, the work of this thesis also suggests that the "real" cultural context in which a study is conducted may influence the effect of experimental manipulations performed in the laboratory. In the current context, putting the cultural context at the heart of the debate on replication in psychology, these works come to provide arguments supporting the importance of conceptual replication (which precisely proposes to take into account the specificities related to the context during replication). At applied level, this work also highlights the importance of promoting inclusive standards (such as historical laïcité in France) to improve intergroup relations.