Psychosocial Acculturation, Personality Factors, Ethnic Identity, and its Interplay : A Case Study of the Czech-Slovak Community in Canada.

Abstract

Abstract: In recent years, a growing body of literature has investigated psychosocial mediators of adaptation to a host culture. This preregistered study examines the interplay of personality factors, ethnic identity, perceived cultural distance, acculturation orientation, psychological, and sociocultural adaptation.

A sample consists of 118 Czech and Slovak emigrants to Canada (Mage 41.4y, SD 14y), residents of six out of 13 Canadian provinces and territories. Participants' mean length of residency in Canada is 181 months (SD 192 months).

The results show that a high score on Negative Emotionality is a predictor of a lower psychological adaptation. In conclusion with previous research, this analysis confirms the positive relationship between host culture orientation and sociocultural and psychological adaptation.

Meanwhile, negative correlations were found between perceived cultural distance and sociocultural adaptation; and between home culture orientation and psychological adaptation. Despite the complexity of sociocultural adaptation, most of the current research on acculturation is criticised for lacking a multimethod approach.

To cover this methodological gap, we employ a full-body qualitative analysis, which examines subjective stories of psychosocial adaptation. Qualitative data speak in favour of hypotheses previously captured by metric measures.

In addition, it provides us with a deeper understanding of the objectives studied.