Longitudinal effects of acculturation and enculturation on mental health: Does the measure matter?

Abstract

A great deal of research has focused on acculturation and enculturation, which represent the processes of adapting to a new culture. Despite this growing literature, results have produced inconsistent findings that may be attributable to differences in terms of the instruments used to assess acculturation and enculturation. Utilizing a 3-year longitudinal data set (with 1-year lags between assessments), the present study explored the psychometric properties of the Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire—Short Version (BIQ-S) and the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans II (ARSMA-II) and examined the overlap between changes in these measures as they relate to internalizing and externalizing problem behavior. The present sample consisted of 216 immigrant Latino youth (43% boys; mean age 13.6 years at baseline; SD = 1.44 years, range 10 to 17). Exploratory structural equation modeling identified factor structures for the BIQ-S and ARSMA-II that diverged from their hypothesized structure. Growth curve models also indicate divergence between the BIQ-S and ARSMA-II in terms of change in acculturation and enculturation processes. Finally, the present findings emphasized that measures of acculturation and enculturation are not equivalent in terms of their effects on internalizing and externalizing problems.

A Parallel Process Model of Integration and Multidimensional Prosocial Behaviors in Recent Immigrant U.S. Latinx Adolescents

“…Furthermore, all participants were recent immigrants to the United States, and Latinx adolescents who have been living in the United States for longer periods may have different experiences with integration. Integration may also have different trajectories across different domains (see Meca et al., 2018). However, in this study, we considered integration collapsed across domains.…”

“…As stated above, in this study we sought to further investigate (a) developmental trajectories of integration and distinct forms of prosocial behaviors across adolescence in a sample of recent Latinx immigrants as well as (b) links between growth processes for integration and prosocial behaviors. Prior research has demonstrated that growth in cultural practices appears to be stable or positive over time in adolescence and among immigrant adolescents specifically (e.g., Meca et al., 2018). We note that prior studies using data from the current sample (Schwartz et al., 2013; Schwartz, Unger, Zamboanga, et al., 2015) have generally found positive growth in both U.S. and Latinx cultural practices across four or five time points.…”

Cultural development and psychopathology

“…Meca, Schwartz, Martinez, and McClure (2018) employed a three-year longitudinal data set of 216 immigrant Latino youth to examine the psychometric properties of the Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire—Short Version and the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans—II. They reported factor structures for these measures that differed from their hypothesized structure, as well as developmental divergence between them and indices of psychopathology.…”

Toward a new understanding of immigrant information behavior

“…Defined by Rudmin (2009) as "second culture acquisition and adaptation," acculturative learning depends on information absorption, but "information has rarely been examined for its effectiveness as a method of second-culture learning" (Rudmin, 2009, p. 118). Acculturation can last up to 25 years, according to longitudinal studies (Meca et al, 2018). Research from an array of disciplines holds that the first five years post-immigration comprises a "sensitive acculturative period" (Cheung et al, 2011) when a newcomer is at higher risk of acculturative stress.…”