Cultural identity as a mediator of acculturative stress and psychological adjustment in Vietnamese-American adolescents |
| Author: |
Kim-Bae,-Lauren-S
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| Author Background: |
Arizona State U., US
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| Date |
2/2000
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| Type |
Dissertation
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| Journal Title: |
Dissertation-Abstracts-International:-Section-B:-The-Sciences-and-Engineering
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| Volume/Pages |
Vol 60(7-B): 3570
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| Publisher |
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| Subject Matter |
Youths, Korean Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Acculturation,
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| Population |
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| Pedagogies |
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| Abstract |
This was a two-part study to: (1) identify stressors that are culturally relevant to Asian American adolescents (Study I), and (2) examine the process by which acculturative stress impacts psychological adjustment (Study II). Study I conducted focus groups to generate stressful events that are relevant to Asian American adolescents. The items that were generated were included in the Adolescent Stress Measure for Asian Americans (ASMAA). Study II used the newly developed measure to test a mediational. model whereby ethnic identity and mainstream identity mediate the relations between the acculturative stress domains (identified in Study I) and four different psychological adjustment variables (depression, somatization, conduct problems, and self esteem). The sample for Study I was recruited from the community and ethnic churches and consisted of 39 Vietnamese American and 20 Korean American adolescents between the ages of 13-18. The sample for Study II was recruited from schools and consisted of 121 Vietnamese American adolescents between the ages of 13-18. Results of Study I identified items in four different acculturative stress domains: homesickness, language barrier, intergenerational conflict, and discrimination. Findings also indicated adequate reliabilities and validities on these domains. Finally, the mediational hypothesis was not supported in this study. Results of Study II showed that only one mediational pathway out of 32 possible mediational paths was found. None of the remaining mediational pathways were supported. That is, mainstream identity mediated the positive effects of intergenerational conflict on self esteem. Implications of these results for acculturative stress research with Asian American adolescents, as well as for interventions for Asian American adolescents, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2000 APA, all rights reserved)
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