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Cultural attachment - A new theory and method to understand cross-cultural competence
Hong, Ying-yi Fang, Yang Yang, Ying Phua, Desiree Y.
Hong, Ying-yi
Fang, Yang
Yang, Ying
Phua, Desiree Y.
Abstract
Cultural attachment theory postulates that the adaptive solution of acculturation is analogous to infants’ attachment to their caretakers, whereby forming secure attachment to the native and/or host cultures can help sojourners to cope with anxiety and stress and to gain a sense of safe haven. To test this theory, we recruited 57 Indonesian students who were studying in Singapore and measured their quality of cultural attachment in two ways: (a) self-reported cultural attachment styles with the native and host culture and (b) positive affective transfer from Indonesian (native) and that from Singaporean (host) cultural icons. The participants’ self-reported cultural attachment styles and identifications with the two cultures were differentially correlated with their positive affective transfers from the two cultural icons. Importantly, the participants’ self-reported attachment styles of native and host cultures and their positive affective transfer from the Indonesian (native) cultural icons were linked to better adjustment in the host culture (as indicated by less perceived discrimination and acculturation stress, and greater subjective well-being). Implications of these findings on cross-cultural competence were discussed.
Keywords
acculturation, attachment, subjective well-being, discrimination
Date
2013
Type
Journal article
Journal
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
Book
Volume
44
Issue
6
Page Range
1024-1044
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled