The role of emotional similarity and emotional accuracy in belonging and stress among first-generation and continuing-generation students

Extensive research has documented the psychological, social, and academic predicament of first-generation college students. However, basic psychological mechanisms underlying the challenges experienced by these students have been understudied. Taking a cultural psychology perspective, the present research considers the role of emotional (mis)match as a key mechanism for explaining first-generation students’ lowered well-being. A sample of 344 American undergraduate students completed a survey designed to measure two aspects of emotional processing: (1) Emotional Accuracy – how accurately students perceive emotional reactions of majority-culture students (continuing-generation junior and senior students who have been socialized into college culture), and (2) Emotional Similarity –how similar students’ emotions are to the emotions experienced by majority-culture students. Emotional Accuracy predicted positive outcomes, in general, but was lower among first-generation students. Unexpectedly, Emotional Similarity predicted negative student outcomes. As one of the first studies addressing basic psychological mechanisms in college adjustment, these findings underscore the importance of understanding the roles that specific emotional processes play in social adjustment

Transactional Associations Between Supportive Family Climate and Young Children’s Heritage Language Proficiency in Immigrant Families

Heritage language (HL) proficiency confers developmental benefits; however, the onset of HL loss is observed among many young children from immigrant families. In this longitudinal study, transactional associations between children’s HL proficiency and supportive family climate were examined in Chinese immigrant families with pre-school-aged children. Parental warmth, cultural maintenance values, and use of HL support were investigated as aspects of family climate. Measures included observable parent–child interactions and performance-based language proficiency assessments. While parental cultural maintenance values appeared influential, parental behavioral support of HL showed more robust prospective associations with children’s HL development. Concurrently, children’s earlier HL proficiency predicted subsequent parental behavior; parents whose children had limited HL proficiency decreased their use of HL support 1 later. Implications of the findings are discussed for immigrant parents with young children

Transactional Associations Between Supportive Family Climate and Young Children’s Heritage Language Proficiency in Immigrant Families

Heritage language (HL) proficiency confers developmental benefits; however, the onset of HL loss is observed among many young children from immigrant families. In this longitudinal study, transactional associations between children’s HL proficiency and supportive family climate were examined in Chinese immigrant families with pre-school-aged children. Parental warmth, cultural maintenance values, and use of HL support were investigated as aspects of family climate. Measures included observable parent–child interactions and performance-based language proficiency assessments. While parental cultural maintenance values appeared influential, parental behavioral support of HL showed more robust prospective associations with children’s HL development. Concurrently, children’s earlier HL proficiency predicted subsequent parental behavior; parents whose children had limited HL proficiency decreased their use of HL support 1 later. Implications of the findings are discussed for immigrant parents with young children

Cultural variability in the link between environmental concern and support for environmental action

Featured in Nature Climate Change news and views: Zaval, L. (2016) Culture and climate action. Nature Climate Change, 6, 1061–1062. http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v6/n12/full/nclimate3164.html?WT.feed_na me=subjects_biological-sciences</p