IB Psychology - Pamoja Teacher Articles
  • Introduction
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    • Effective study techniques in Psychology
    • The need for personal space
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    • A learning mindset
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    • Effective Online Group Work
    • Tips for Effective Notetaking
    • If it weren’t for the last minute, I would never get anything done
    • How focused are you?
    • Quiet: The power of introverts
    • Psychology and cinematography
    • To what extent are we shaped by unconscious biological processes?
  • Approaches to research
    • What does Approaches to Research mean?
    • Thinking critically about research design and methodologies
    • The research and null hypothesis
    • Learning about psychological research
    • Original reports of research studies
  • Biological approach
    • Brain and behaviour
      • Serotonin and reactions to unfairness
      • What happens to the brain when you fall in love?
      • Research study investigating ketanserin
      • Localisation of function – Relevant research studies
      • Techniques to study the brain
      • Techniques used to study the brain in relation to behaviour
      • Brain imaging technology
      • Oliver Sacks
      • HM’s brain
      • Agonists and antagonists
      • A focused look at two possible biological approach SAQs: Agonists and antagonists
      • The teenage brain
      • Neural pruning and the adolescent brain
      • Neuroplasticity
      • Neuroplasticity and poverty
      • Key study of neuroplasticity: Brain damage and language (Tierney et al. 2001)
    • Fear and Loathing: An Evolutionary Explanation
    • Hormones and Pheromones
      • Relevant research studies
    • Genetics and behaviour
      • An explanation of concordance rate
      • Do your genes determine your entire life?
      • Evolutionary explanations of jealousy
      • For those of you who like Biology: Some behavioural genetics
      • Epigenetics
      • Your mood swings may give you an evolutionary advantage
      • Disgust and evolutionary psychology
      • Fear and loathing: An evolutionary explanation
      • Economising research studies: Caspi et al. (2003)
      • Examining the outcomes and implications of genetic research – gene editing
      • Relevant research studies
    • The role of animal research
      • How ethical is animal research?
  • Cognitive approach
    • Cognitive processing
      • In two minds? The dual processing model
      • The Serial Position Effect – A Classic Study of Memory
      • The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and leisure activity choices
      • Relevant research studies
    • Reliability of cognitive processes
      • Reliability of Cognitive Processes and Biases: Illusory Correlations
      • The reliability of cognitive processes: additional information on Loftus and Palmer (1974)
      • The reliability of eyewitness testimony
      • How accurate are Flashbulb memories of dramatic events?
      • False memories – false claims made?
      • The Memory Wars Revisited
      • The malleability and reliability of eyewitness testimony
      • Misconceptions about the reliability of memory
      • Illusory correlations
      • Relevant research studies
    • Emotion and cognition
    • Cognitive processing in a technological world
      • Cognitive impacts of social media and digital devices
      • The influence of modern digital technologies on cognitive processes
      • The accuracy of eye witness testimony
      • Our relationship with technology
  • Sociocultural approach
    • The individual and the group
      • Social identity theory and discrimination
      • Tajfel and social identity theory
      • Howarth (2002) and an Historical Perspective
      • Social cognitive theory: Bandura and the Bobo doll
      • In and out-groups
      • Bandura et al. (1961): Transmission of Aggression Through Imitation of Aggressive Models
    • Cultural origins of behaviour and cognition
      • The significance of different cultural groups
    • Cultural influences
      • A model of Acculturation: Berry (2005)
      • Does individualism bring happiness?
      • 10 minutes with Geert Hofstede
    • The influence of globalization
      • Does Globalization Influence Cooperative Behaviour to solve Global Issues?
      • The Influence of Globalization
      • Globalisation and intercultural competence
  • Fitting In: Assimilation, Integration and Acculturation
  • Abnormal psychology
    • Factors influencing diagnosis
      • On “Being sane in insane places”
      • Szasz and the myth of mental illness
    • Etiology of abnormal behaviour
      • What is depression?
      • Depression and social isolation
    • Treatment of disorders
      • Treatment of Depression – Key Studies
      • CBT and the treatment of depression
  • Psychology of human relationships
    • Personal relationships
      • Why we love
    • Group dynamics
    • Social responsibility
      • Situational factors and human behaviour – the bystander effect
      • Kitty Genovese and the Bystander Effect
      • The Bystander Effect challenged
      • Reciprocal altruism
  • Internal assessment
    • IA Statistics…where do I start?
    • Writing the introduction and the exploration sections
    • Writing the analysis and evaluation sections
    • Common errors and omissions
    • IB Psychology subject report May 2019: The internal assessment
    • Suitable studies to investigate psychological theories and models
    • What are “True” experiments in Psychology?
    • How can Psychology help us in our everyday lives?
    • Using reputable websites in your IA
  • External assessment
    • Psychology external assessments: A guide for IBDP students
    • FAQs on IB Psychology external assessment
    • Responding to the “describe” command term
    • Responding to the “explain” command term
    • Why is an argument so important in writing an essay in IB Psychology?
    • How to approach SAQ writing: An example
    • Unpacking an ERQ
    • Writing a conclusion for your response to an ERQ
    • Unpacking Extended Response Questions: Criterion A – Focus on the Question
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Fitting In: Assimilation, Integration and Acculturation

PreviousGlobalisation and intercultural competenceNextAbnormal psychology

Last updated 2 years ago

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The topic Cultural influences on individual behaviour from the Sociocultural Approach requires you to investigate one effect of assimilation and acculturation. This article focuses on assimilation. A detailed description of Lueck & Wilson (2010) is offered. You were first introduced to these investigators in the article and Section 5.1 of Chapter 6 of your text.

A recap of Berry’s model:

Berry (2005) proposed that people experiencing acculturation behave in one of four ways:

Assimilation: adapting to the new culture and leaving the original culture behind.

Separation: Avoiding interactions with the new culture and holding on to the original culture.

Integration: Becoming bi-cultural. Integrating with the new culture whilst still maintaining the original culture.

Marginalisation: Leaving the original culture behind but struggling to integrate in the new culture due to discrimination.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate which linguistic and social factors predict acculturation stress in a nationally representative sample of Asian immigrants and Asian Americans.

Type of Study: Qualitative Study: Structured Interview method

Participants: 2095 Asian Americans

Procedures:

Participants were interviewed to gather information about the following:

Acculturation Stress, e.g. Do you find it hard interacting with others because of difficulties you have with the English language?

Native Language Proficiency: How well do you speak in your native language?

English Language Proficiency: How well do you speak in English?

Language Preference: What language do you speak with most of your friends?

Discrimination: How often do people dislike you because of your ethnicity?

Family cohesion: Do you have arguments with other members of your

family because of different customs?

Membership of Social Networks: How often do you talk on the phone or get together with family or relatives who do not live with you?

Results:

The investigators found that 70% of the participants experienced acculturation stress. However, bilingual language preference contributed to lower stress. Perceived discrimination was highly likely to lead to stress.

Sharing similar values and beliefs as a family, trust, closeness, and togetherness as a family significantly contributed to lower acculturation stress

Conclusion

A key finding was that English and native language skills and bilingual language preferences significantly decreased the likelihood of acculturation stress. On the other hand, losing the native language and links to one’s first culture contributed to higher acculturation stress.

How does the study illustrate assimilation?

This study questions the value of assimilation in dealing with acculturation.

The study offers evidence that acculturation stress can be reduced by learning and using one’s first language and maintaining existing cultural links. In other words, adopting a strategy of integration rather than assimilation is more likely to reduce acculturation stress rather than

You will have realised that the study can be used to illustrate both the process of acculturation and assimilation.

If you were required to write about assimilation in an SAQ, you would explain that it is one of the four strategies first identified by Berry. One study you could use to illustrate your explanation is

Acculturative Stress in Asian Immigrants: The Impact of Social and Linguistic Factors. International Journal of Intercultural Relations - INT J INTERCULT RELAT. 34. 47-57. 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2009.10.004.

Lueck & Wilson (2010).
Lueck, Kerstin & Wilson, Machelle. (2010).
A model of Acculturation: Berry (2005)