Supervisors info:
Παυλόπουλος Βασίλης, Kαθηγητής, Τμήμα Ψυχολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Τάνταρος Σπυρίδων, Kαθηγητής, Τμήμα Ψυχολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Βασιλική Ευσταθίου, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ψυχολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
The aim of the present study was tο examine the relationship between ethnic and national
identity, bicultural identity (harmony/blendedness) and the psychological adaptation of
immigrant adolescents. Additionally, we investigated the correlation of perceived group
and personal discrimination with psychological adaptation, their correlation with the
cultural identities of the participants and the relationship between ethnic, national and
bicultural identity. The sample included 430 adolescents who were enrolled in the 1st and 2nd grade of public secondary schools in the region of Attica and the median age of those
was 13,4 years. Participants completed self-reports that measured the abovementioned
variables. To investigate cultural identities, National Identity Scale, Ethnic Identity Scale (Douglass & Umaña-Taylor, 2015∙ Fleischmann et al., 2011) and Bicultural Identity
Integration Scale for Children (Trifiletti et al., 2021) were administrated. With regards to
perceived discrimination, Perceived Discrimination Scale (Motti-Stefanidi &Asendorpf, 2012∙ Motti-Stefanidi et al., 2018) was completed. Psychological adaptation was referred to
emotional and depressive symptoms, anger/hostility (negative adaptation), self-esteem and
life satisfaction (positive adaptation). Demographic data was also collected. In respect to the findings of the survey, it was found that ethnic and national identity both had positive correlation with positive adaptation. Bicultural blendedness showed a small positive correlation with emotional and depression symptoms, while bicultural identity/harmony was negatively correlated with the negative aspects of adaptation and positively correlated with self-esteem. Regarding the negative aspect of adaptation, anger/hostility, showed a small positive correlation with national identity. The RIM/RDIM model was not supported
in this study, as neither ethnic nor national identity were correlated with perceived group/personal discrimination. However, bicultural identity/harmony showed small to
medium negative correlation with both types of discrimination.
Furthermore, perceived in-group and personal discrimination was also negatively associated with self-esteem and life satisfaction. Moreover, ethnic identity was positively
associated with national identity and bicultural identity/blendedness was negatively related
to harmony. There were no significant differences between 1st and 2nd generation of immigrants concerning the variables under study, whilst gender was the main predictor for all the aspects of adaptation except life satisfaction∙ girls reported significally higher levels of emotional and depression symptoms and anger/hostility, and also lower self-esteem. Bicultural identity/harmony predicted negatively the emotional symptoms. Finally, national identity predicted positively self-esteemand ethnic and national identity combined, predicted life satisfaction.
Keywords:
ethnic identity, national identity, bicultural identity, perceived discrimination, psychological adaptation, immigrant adolescents
