Self-Esteem, Resilience, Social Support, and Acculturative Stress as Predictors of Loneliness in Chinese Internal Migrant Children: A Model-Testing Longitudinal Study

The present study examined the risk and protective factors of loneliness among Chinese internal migrant children (CIMC) in Beijing, China, including self-esteem, resilience, social support, and acculturative stress. Longitudinal survey data were collected from a large sample of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade CIMC from three schools in Beijing, at four time points (N=862 at T1 to N=837 at T4) over a 20-month period. Grounded in the Cultural and Contextual Model of Coping and the Acculturation Theory, two predictor models of loneliness were tested with path analysis. The results yielded the following: a) the two predictor models fit the data well; b) CIMC’s T1 self-esteem and T1 resilience protected them against loneliness at T4; and c) CIMC’s T2 social support seeking was a significant mediator between self-esteem and loneliness, and between resilience and loneliness; and d) similarly, CIMC’s T3 acculturative stress was a significant mediator between self-esteem and loneliness, and between resilience and loneliness. The study’s results highlight the merit and importance of implementing theoretically-guided, model-testing research grounded in a prospective research design, to help advance CIMC research. Implications for future research on and practical support for CIMC are discussed

Wisdom, cultural synergy, and social change: A Taiwanese perspective

This study examined the relationships among wisdom, cultural synergy (i.e., incorporating lessons learned from different cultures), and social change by re-analyzing 220 “wisdom incidents” (i.e., real-life displays of wisdom) collected from 1997 to 2003 from 66 Taiwanese adults nominated as wise individuals (Yang, 2008a). We addressed these questions empirically with a mixed-methods approach: (a) “What are the features of cultural synergy involved in the Taiwanese wisdom nominees’ narratives about their displays of wisdom?”; and (b) “How are real-life displays of wisdom related to cultural synergy and social change?” Wisdom is defined as a real-life process that entails three components: (a) cognitive integration—an individual incorporates separate or conflicting ideas to form an integrated idea; (b) embodying actions—the individual acts to implement the unified idea; and (c) positive effects for oneself and others—the individual\u27s actions generate positive effects for the self and others. The 220 wisdom incidents were re-analyzed qualitatively by young Taiwanese for themes related to cultural synergy and lessons learned from culture; the incidents were re-evaluated quantitatively by young Taiwanese for indications of wisdom, cultural synergy, and social change. A model proposing relationships among wisdom, cultural synergy, and social change was then evaluated using path analysis. Results, which may be generalized to young Taiwanese, show that displays of wisdom had (a) a direct relationship with cultural synergy and social change; and (b) an indirect relationship with social change through cultural synergy. Findings suggest that what the Taiwanese wisdom nominees learned from both their own culture and other cultures is significantly related to cultural synergy which, in turn, is significantly related to promoting social change

Recovery from Anorexia Nervosa in contemporary Taiwan: A multiple-case qualitative investigation from a cultural-contextual perspective

Grounded in a cultural and contextual perspective, the current study examined the lived experiences and the recovery pathways of three Taiwanese women diagnosed with various subtypes of anorexia nervosa, at varying stages of their recovery. Specifically, using a multiple-case qualitative method, this study explored the complex, dynamic interactions of sociocultural factors and forces (i.e., cultural, familial, and societal influences) that impinge upon the three Taiwanese female participants in relation to living with anorexia nervosa in contemporary Taiwan. Data were collected based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with the participants and relevant written materials and journal entries provided by these participants. The data were first analyzed within each case and then again across all cases. Accordingly, we present the results of the study by illustrating each participant’s story and narrative of struggling with and recovering from anorexia. We then describe three main culturally-related themes that emerged from the cross-case analysis, which pertain specifically to the recovery process of the participants under the East-West ‘biculturalism’ in Taiwan: 1) anorexia as a function of the conflictual bicultural self; 2) recovery as a pathway towards an integrated bicultural self; and 3) the paradoxical roles of Chinese cultural heritage in anorexia and recovery. Findings of the study highlight the role of local cultural factors/forces, including Chinese familism, Confucianism, filial piety, face-saving, gender role prescriptions, biculturalism, Westernization, and self-relation-coordination, in affecting and shaping Taiwanese women’s struggling with anorexia. Implications and recommendations for future research and clinical interventions are discussed

Evaluating the effects of cultural immersion on counselor trainees\u27 multicultural development and intercultural competence: A metasynthesis of qualitative evidence

This metasynthesis critically surveyed and evaluated the learning impacts on counselor and psychology trainees’ multicultural development and intercultural competence through participating in cultural immersion (CI), based on published qualitative research evidence. Accordingly, this metasynthesis identified and assessed the characteristics, the methodological strengths and qualities, and the thematic findings of 33 qualitative and mixed-methods CI studies resulting from exhaustive database searches. Using a directed content analysis technique, a six-domain analytical framework was applied to code and analyze the themes reported in these studies. The results point to CI intervention as a multifaceted and versatile instructional apparatus that impacted and contributed to trainees’ multicultural development and intercultural learning multidimensionally, across cognitive, perceptual-attitudinal, affective, and skills-behavioral domains. These learning outcomes include trainees’ increased cultural awareness and knowledge (cognitive), enhanced reflexivity on their worldview, positionality, and attitude (perceptual-attitudinal), heightened emotion and growth in cultural empathy (affective), adaptation and display of new behaviors and relational skills and increased multicultural competence (skills-behavioral). Therefore, CI embodies many favorable characteristics of experientially-based learning as stipulated in the existing multicultural counseling and intercultural training literature. These findings lend nuanced empirical support for the application of CI to facilitate counselor trainees’ multicultural orientation, development, and skills, and offer insights into structural facilitators for enhancing immersion training. However, a lack of structural and methodological consistency and theoretical depth among the existing CI studies were observed as major limitations. Implications and recommendations for advancing future CI and multicultural training practice and research are discussed

Demographic, psychosocial, and cultural predictors of entitlement in a multiethnic Canadian undergraduate sample

The current study sought to examine the demographic, psychosocial, and cultural predictors of psychological entitlement (PE) and academic entitlement (AE) and their impacts on psychological well-being in a sample of Asian and Caucasian young adults in Canada. This study found that on average, less than 80% of the participants endorsed items characteristic of entitlement. Based on multiple regression analyses, higher PE was predicted by unemployment, older age, more recent generation status, and a weaker tendency for social comparison. Higher AE, on the other hand, was predicted by younger age, more recent generation status, lower self-esteem, and lower self-efficacy. AE was found to be negatively associated with a number of psychological well-being indicators, while PE was not. The results suggest that entitlement in the form of AE may be more problematic as compared to PE. With respect to ethnic differences, PE and AE were higher among Asian Canadians than Caucasian Canadians. Implications for future research and practice are discussed

Black American psychological help-seeking intention: An integrated literature review with recommendations for clinical practice

Cumulative research has indicated that Black Americans underutilize voluntary mental health services. This review article adopts the theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991) model as an organizing conceptual framework to demonstrate how a variety of factors contribute to Black Americans\u27 reluctance to seek psychological help. These factors include perceived negative consequences associated with seeking help (i.e., mental illness stigma); social pressure against psychological help-seeking (i.e., endorsement of beliefs, such as Black people do not get mental illness, Black people must be strong, and/or Black people who seek professional help have less faith in God ); and perceived difficulties associated with seeking professional help (e.g., cultural mistrust, microaggressions in therapy). This article then suggests approaches that practitioners can use to encourage mental health service use in this population, such as reducing mental illness stigma through psychoeducation; discussing the influences of race/ethnicity and culture in therapy; and preventing and addressing microaggressions in therapy. Finally, the article discusses directions for future research to further investigate how to better understand and encourage psychological help-seeking intention in the Black community

Self-Construals in Situational Context: Disaggregating Behaviours and Intentions Using Sinha et al.’s (2002) Decision-Making Scenarios

The present study examined the influence of independent and interdependent self-construals and social context on decision-making using a set of hypothetical scenarios. Following the methodology of Sinha et al. (J Psychol 37(5):309–319, 2002. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207590244000124), a sample of Canadian undergraduate students was presented with 16 decision-making scenarios. Scenarios were divided into two clusters depending on interaction target: nine scenarios related to conflict between personal needs versus family and friends, and seven scenarios related to conflict between personal needs versus community or society. Participants were asked to choose one of five responses: collectivist behaviour with collectivist intent, individualist behaviour with individualist intent, collectivist behaviour with individualist intent, individualist behaviour with collectivist intent, or a mix of collectivist and individualist behaviours and intentions. Participant self-construal was measured orthogonally using Singelis’ (Personal Soc Psychol Bull 20(5):580–591, 1994) Self-Construal Scale. The results suggest that a complex mix of self-concept, situation, and interaction target influenced participant behaviours and intentions. Biggest differences were observed between participants who scored high on one construal and low on the other: those who were more independent were more likely to choose individualist behaviours and intentions, and those who were more interdependent tended to choose more collectivist options. Interdependent self-construal was found to curtail individualist intentions, but not behaviour. Both independent and interdependent participants made collectivist choices towards family and friends as opposed to the greater community. The results have implications for studying the influence of self-concept and cultural norms on behaviour

Transition to Kindergarten for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Focus Group Study with Ethnically Diverse Parents, Teachers, and Early Intervention Service Providers

Despite the stated importance of a successful kindergarten transition (TTK) for future school success, no research has addressed this transition for culturally/ethnically diverse families having children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). To address this gap, six focus groups (three with ethnically diverse parents, one with kindergarten teachers, and one each with early childhood resource teachers and early intervention providers) were conducted to elicit the experiences of these stakeholders regarding TTK for children with ASD generally, and the TTK experience for ethnically diverse families specifically. Four major themes relating to TTK emerged from the focus groups: Relationship Building, Communication, Knowledge, and Support. While these themes were relevant for all groups, parents who were relatively recent immigrants and for whom English was not a first language identified unique difficulties. Results are discussed within the context of Bronfenbrenner\u27s Ecological Systems Theory. Recommendations to improve the experience for ethnically diverse families are explored