Search

In this research, we examined cultural differences in psychological reactance in response to a threat of social media censorship among two collectivistic cultural groups (East Asian Canadians, Iranian Canadians) and one individualistic cultural group (European Canadians). Results indicated that, compared with European Canadians and East Asian Canadians, Iranian Canadians exhibited psychological reactance to a greater degree when the threat came from the government. This cultural difference was mediated by direct and indirect experience with censorship but not independent vs. interdependent self-construal. When the threat came from a student, however, there were no cultural differences in psychological reactance. These results are consistent with the notion that Iranians have more salient experiences with restriction of information access, and thus have a heightened sensitivity to the freedom threat of social media censorship when it came from a powerful source. This research highlights the importance of going beyond self-construal when analyzing cultural variations in psychological reactance., Author(s): Andy H. Ng [sup.1] , Mohammad S. Kermani [sup.2] , Richard N. Lalonde [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.5334.1, 0000 0004 0637 1566, School of Management, Sabanci University, , Orta [...]

The present study examined the practice of language brokering (LB) among South Asian Canadian college-age adults and how such practice relates to acculturation to mainstream and heritage cultures, as well as personal empowerment. One hundred and twenty-four young adults reported on three different indices of LB (brokering frequency, diversity of people, and diversity of items translated), as well as measures of acculturation to mainstream and heritage cultures, and personal empowerment. Whereas brokering frequency and number of people one brokers for were not related to acculturation, findings suggested that the wider the range of items and topics brokered, the stronger the reported acculturation to both mainstream and heritage cultures. Further, brokering for a more diverse pool of individuals was predictive of more individual empowerment, whereas brokering frequency and diversity of items translated were not related to empowerment. Findings point at the importance of going beyond brokering frequency to examine multiple indicators of brokering as they relate to acculturation and personal empowerment. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Racism from one's partner is a highly sensitive phenomenon that has received little research attention. The current research introduces the concept of "intimate racism" to refer to racism from close others. The manifestation of intimate racism in intercultural romantic relationships was explored with a sample of 92 racialized minorities who were currently, or previously, in an intercultural relationship. An online survey enquired about the experience of racism from their partner, and responses were coded and analyzed using thematic content analysis. More than 50 different manifestations of intimate racism emerged and these were grouped into eight categories: explicit racism, microinsults, microinvalidations, positive stereotypes, racial fetishization, partner abuse, defensiveness, and others. Co‐occurrence analyses revealed links between intimate racism with negative, neutral and positive experiences, which were connected to participants' responses to racism (e.g., confronting, disengaging) and to stressful identity experiences. The present work opens a new field of study to examine intimate racism and its implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between racial identity, academic achievement, and mental health for 107 Black Canadian university students was examined within Fordham's "racelessness" framework. Fordham posited that to achieve success, educational or professional, in a society where Blackness is devalued, Blacks adopt a strategy of racelessness--they downplay their Black identity, disengage from their culture of origin, and assimilate into the dominant culture. Racelessness, however, results in psychological difficulties. This study failed to find evidence of the adoption of a raceless strategy by students. In fact, racial identity did not appear to be directly related to academic achievement. Possessing a closer affinity to Blacks, however, appeared to be psychologically protective. In addition, mentally healthier students had a more positive academic orientation, which in turn was related to higher GPA. Taken together, these findings suggest an indirect relationship between racial identity and academic performance.

Are correspondences between personality traits and hockey positions a matter of perception rather than reality? This exploratory study assessed self-reported and ascribed characteristics in a sample of 578 male hockey players (163 defensemen, 305 forwards, and 110 goaltenders), who completed a measure of the Big-Five personality domains and then rated the extent to which they thought the traits applied to players of each position. Contrary to the 'goalies are different' hypothesis, self-reported personality traits did not correlate with hockey position. There was, however, some consensus about what players of different positions are like, with forwards seen as more extraverted, disagreeable, undisciplined, and open to experience than defensemen and goalies. Overall, players rated goaltenders as the most conscientious and defensemen as the most emotionally stable. Moderating effects of participants' own position reflected systematic biases, such that players tended to accentuate the relative positive distinctiveness of their in-group. Results are interpreted with respect to perceptual processes accompanying social categorization and stereotyping., Do hockey players possess characteristics that correspond to the position they play? Some anecdotal evidence, such as the common observation that goaltenders are a 'breed apart' (Plante, 1972, p. ii) [...]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2010.01667.x Byline: Victoria M. Esses (1), Kay Deaux (2), Richard N. Lalonde (3), Rupert Brown (4) Abstract: We introduce this issue by describing recent trends in migration and immigration policy, and the challenges faced by immigrants and by immigrant-receiving nations around the world. We then discuss the many contributions that psychology can make to understanding and optimizing the benefits of migration from the perspective of both immigrants and members of host societies. The article concludes by providing an overview of the rationale, organization, and content of the issue, including a brief description of each article. Author Affiliation: (1)University of Western Ontario (2)CUNY Graduate Center and New York University (3)York University (4)University of Sussex Article note: (*) Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Victoria M. Esses, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C2, Canada [e-mail: vesses@uwo.ca].

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2010.01669.x Byline: Winnifred R. Louis (1), Julie M. Duck (1), Deborah J. Terry (1), Richard N. Lalonde (2) Abstract: This article presents a survey of 667 Australian voters examining support for a new conservative social movement in relation to attitudes toward Asian immigration, involvement in an evolving anti-immigration debate, and willingness to speak out politically. Supporters of the new conservatives were motivated to get involved and speak out by perceived threat to White Australians, as well as the perception of a favorable normative climate. In contrast, for opponents, higher education and welcoming attitudes toward Asian immigration were associated with political involvement, as well as the perception that the social climate was changing against them (becoming more conservative). The data show that in a time of changing public opinion, people may speak out more when they perceive that their views are losing ground, providing evidence for active resistance rather than a spiral of silence on the part of the losing side. Author Affiliation: (1)The University of Queensland (2)York University Article note: (*) Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Winnifred Louis, The School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia [e-mail: w.louis@psy.uq.edu.au].

Researchers have shown that bicultural individuals, including 2nd-generation immigrants, face a potential conflict between 2 cultural identities. The present authors extended this primarily qualitative research on the bicultural experience by adopting the social identity perspective (H. Tajfel & J. C. Turner, 1986). They developed and tested an empirically testable model of the role of cultural construals, in-group prototypicality, and identity in bicultural conflict in 2 studies with 2nd-generation Asian Canadians. In both studies, the authors expected and found that participants' construals of their 2 cultures as different predicted lower levels of simultaneous identification with both cultures. Furthermore, the authors found this relation was mediated by participants' feelings of prototypicality as members of both groups. Although the perception of cultural difference did not predict well-being as consistently and directly as the authors expected, levels of simultaneous identification did show these relations. The authors discuss results in the context of social identity theory (H. Tajfel & J. C. Turner) as a framework for understanding bicultural conflict. Keywords: acculturation, bicultural conflict, immigration, social identity, WITH APPROXIMATELY 200,000 IMMIGRANTS arriving yearly in Canada and another million receiving permanent residency in the United States, immigration is important to policy and society in both countries. Immigrants today [...]

This study examines the relation between social dominance orientation (SDO) and three hierarchy-attenuating beliefs (attitude toward and openness to personally engaging in interracial dating and attitude toward transracial adoption) and two hierarchy-enhancing beliefs (stereotyping of interracial relationships and racial identity concerns in transracial adoption). Participants were 77 Black and 142 White Canadians from the Toronto area. SDO was significantly negatively related to the three hierarchy-attenuating beliefs and positively to the two hierarchy-enhancing beliefs for Whites, whereas no significant relationships were found for Blacks. The relation between SDO and the outcome variables for Blacks and Whites differed significantly with the exception of openness to interracial dating. Interracial dating experience moderated the relation between race, SDO, and openness to become personally involved in interracial dating. Results support and extend previous research by Fang, Sidanius, and Pratto. Their social implications are discussed. Keywords: social dominance; interracial dating; transracial adoption; interracial relationships

Two studies examined the influence of Eastern cultural heritage on relationship preferences among second generation immigrants to the West, and explicitly tested the mediating roles of interdependence and familial cultural influence in mate preferences. The first used a between-subjects approach to compare the preferred mate attributes of South Asian Canadians (n = 97) to those of Euro-Canadians (n = 89). The second study used a within-subject approach by using the strength of cultural identity of South Asian Canadians (n = 92) as a predictor of preferred attributes. Both studies found a culture influence on 'traditional' mate attribute preferences. Moreover, familial cultural influence (e.g., family allocentrism) was a better mediator of the culture-traditional attribute preference relationship than the more generic measure of interdependent self-construal. The results further suggest that a cross-cultural approach, rather than a strength-of-cultural-identity approach, is better suited to tap into non-conscious influences of culture on behavior. Keywords: mate selection; interdependence; family allocentrism; South Asian; cross-cultural

The present study examines cross-cultural differences in interpersonal closeness to different people and whether these differences can be explained by independent and interdependent self-construal. Turkish and Euro-Canadian samples of university students were asked to indicate how close they feel and how close they ideally would like to be to family members, romantic partners, friends, and acquaintances. As predicted, Turkish participants scored higher on interdependent self-construal, whereas there was no culture difference on independent self-construal scores. Turkish participants rated their actual and ideal closeness with others higher than Euro-Canadian participants did. Both Turkish and Euro-Canadian participants reported feeling closest and ideally wanting to be closest to their romantic partner, and then to their families and friends, followed by acquaintances. Turkish participants desired more closeness with family members and acquaintances than Euro-Canadian participants did. Interdependent self-construal was found to partially mediate the relationships between culture and actual closeness scores for family, friends, and acquaintances and between culture and ideal scores for family and acquaintances. Keywords: actual and interpreted ideal closeness; culture; interdependent and independent self-construal; Turkish and Euro-Canadian sample

Issues related to which ethnic label black Canadian most identify with are examined, focusing on the terms 'Black, ' 'Africentric,' 'Caribbean,' and 'Candadian.' 'Black' was the most preferred term, and issues of social identity related to that term and the others are discussed.

Two studies were conducted to assess behavioral preferences in response to situations of discrimination in the workplace and in housing. In the first study, 72 black Canadians read a scenario in which they were ultimately denied an apartment on the basis of their color. The degree of evidence of discrimination in the scenario had an effect on the preference for some of the behaviors examined. In addition, it was found that some of the behaviors (e.g., seeking advice) were clearly preferred to others (e.g., organizing a boycott). In the second study, 42 Bengali Canadians read a scenario in which they applied for a position for which they had the qualifications. After an interview and notification that the offer was made to a more qualified person, they found out that they did not get the position because of their visible minority status. The results indicate that self-directed responses to the situation (e.g., working harder) were preferred to a variety of overt actions taken within or outside the company. The results are discussed in terms of the process and problems of responding to discrimination.

Ethnic identity in the context of social category memberships was examined in two generations of Italian Canadians. Ratings based on perceived value similarity between a number of categories (self, Canadians, Italians, immigrants, religion, family, friends, social class, age, and Americans) were made by 57 second-generation Italian Canadians and one parent of each. Multidimensional scaling analyses revealed a general distinction between Old World and New World values. First-generation self-identity was manifested in a distinct cluster including family, friends, and immigrants. The configuration for the second generation suggested a bicultural orientation, congruent with additional data on Italian language use across situations. The cross-generational transformation of ethnicity within a system of social categorizations is discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine features of an intergroup context that can affect people's preferred responses to a situation of social injustice. Ninety research participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions of group permeability (open, token, or closed) and 1 of 2 conditions of social identity salience (not salient or salient). It was predicted on the basis of social identity theory that individualistic responses would be preferred to a collective response when group boundaries were more open but not when they were closed. It was also expected that under conditions of group impermeability, collective behavior would be preferred to a greater extent by individuals for whom social identity was salient than by individuals for whom it was not salient. The results, which generally supported these hypotheses, are discussed in terms of social psychological theories of intergroup relations and also with regard to their potential practical implications.

Recent developments in the study of language, communication, and social interaction have served to underscore the value of cross-fertilization between traditionally distinct disciplines and orientations. Even a brief consideration of [...]

This study examined the process of between-group differentiation in a disadvantaged group to see how its members achieved some form of positive in-group distinctiveness. The players on the last-place ice hockey team in a competitive league were tested at eight games. Before and after each game, they were asked to rate how they perceived their team, the opposing team, and themselves. One hypothesis was that players could not ignore their past and present performance and would rate their opponents as superior on attributes that were critical for success. A second hypothesis was that players would achieve a measure of positive distinctiveness by seeing their opponents as more 'dirty' in their play. Results, which supported these hypotheses, are discussed within the context of Tajfel and Turner's social identity theory.

A study was conducted to find out the perception of Indian and Haitian women immigrants in Canada on their integration into society. One hundred thirty-six Haitian and 108 Indian women participated in the study. Findings revealed that Indian women identified more closely with Canadian culture than Haitian women. This acculturation discrepancy between the two groups could be related to differences in education levels and ability to absorb a more sophisticated culture.

An unexpected finding that has surfaced in research on discrimination is that respondents perceive a higher level of discrimination directed at their group as a whole than at themselves as individual members of that group. The present study directly tested this personal/group discrepancy by focusing on two groups of Canadian immigrants who have been the targets of much discrimination, Haitian and South Asian women. Respondents were questioned about their personal and group discrimination on four separate dimensions: race, culture, status as newcomers to Canada, and gender. Strong support was found for the generality of the personal/group discrimination discrepancy. Three possible explanations for the discrepancy point to possible avenues for future research: the denial of personal discrimination, the exaggeration of group discrimination, and information-processing biases.