Zwischen Autonomie und Überbehütung: Determinanten der Beziehungsqualität junger Erwachsener mit ihren Eltern.

Scientific Conference (2023, September 05)

Die Lebensphase der emerging adults ist durch große Varianz des Zeitpunkts der Bewältigung verschiedener Entwicklungsaufgaben geprägt. Die Phase des Erwachsenwerdens hat sich insbesondere in der ... [more ▼]

Die Lebensphase der emerging adults ist durch große Varianz des Zeitpunkts der Bewältigung verschiedener Entwicklungsaufgaben geprägt. Die Phase des Erwachsenwerdens hat sich insbesondere in der westlichen Welt in Folge wirtschaftlicher Veränderungen und komplexen Ausbildungsstrukturen verlängert. Dabei kann der elterliche Erziehungsstil das Streben nach Autonomie fördern oder auch einschränken. Helicopter parenting (HP) beschreibt die elterliche Überinvolviertheit. In dieser Lebensphase wird die Beziehung zu den Eltern, deren Leistungen oder Opfer neu bewertet (sense of indebtedness, SIP, Kang et al., 2010). Bisher wurde SIP hauptsächlich bei Eltern-Kind-Beziehungen mit Migrationshintergrund eingesetzt. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde die deutsche Version der SIP-Skala (Pfammater & Schwarz, 2022) an die Leistungen der Eltern allgemein, d.h. ohne Migrationshintergrund, angepasst. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist es die Ausprägung von SIP und die Erfahrung von überinvolvierter Elternschaft (HP- Skala Wilhelm et al. (2014) mit vier Dimensionen: Überinvolviertheit, Autonomieeinschränkung, Überbehütung und unangebrachte Schuldzuweisung) unter emerging adults zu testen und deren Einfluss auf die Beziehungsqualität zu den Eltern sowie die die Rolle der Selbstwahrnehmung als Jugendliche bzw. Erwachsene zu untersuchen. In einer Onlinestudie wurden dazu N=253 deutschsprachige Erwachsene (M=23.06 Jahre; SD=2.55; 55% weibliche Teilnehmerinnen) quantitativ befragt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Beziehung zu den Eltern von der überwiegenden Mehrheit als gut bis sehr gut eingeschätzt wird. Eine schlechtere Beziehung spiegelt sich auch in niedrigeren SIP-Werten wider und bezüglich HP in höherer Autonomieeinschränkung und niedrigerer Überinvolviertheit. Die Selbstwahrnehmung hat keinen Einfluss auf SIP, aber auf HP. Unter theoretischer Einbettung erfolgt eine differenzierte Diskussion der Ergebnisse. [less ▲]

Value Transmission in a Multicultural and Multilingual Context: A Case Study Example of Americans and Japanese in Luxembourg

Poster (2023, September 05)

Luxembourg is a multicultural and multilingual country with three official national languages and approximately half of the population (47.1%) composed of foreigners (Statec, 2022). Although most ... [more ▼]

Luxembourg is a multicultural and multilingual country with three official national languages and approximately half of the population (47.1%) composed of foreigners (Statec, 2022). Although most foreigners in Luxembourg have European roots, the number of non-Europeans is rising, with sizeable American and Japanese communities. The US, as target country for immigration is known for its diversity. Japan is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world. The purpose of this study is to explore the acculturation experiences of Americans and Japanese in Luxembourg. We explore, if and to what extent this contrast between multicultural US and monocultural Japan adds to the complexity of adapting to a multicultural and multilingual context. We focus on the intergenerational value transmission (i.e., language, traditions) within this context. Adopting a qualitative approach, we explored in semi-structured interviews, supplemented by visual primes, different facets of daily life including language practices. Participants were 8 women (5 American, 3 Japanese, age range between 35 and 61 years, M = 48.3) in international marriages with children (on average 2) and most having lived in Luxembourg for more than 10 years. Results show the various compromises participants made regarding language (i.e., within-family language choice, school language choice, friendship groups) and traditions (i.e. local and home traditions). Although the benefits of a multilingual society were noted among all participants, challenges were also experienced. The results shed light on the difficulty of integration and transmission of values in a multicultural context. Implications and differences between Japanese and American participants will be discussed. [less ▲]

Can openness to diversity be taught in the family?

Scientific Conference (2023, July 04)

We live an increasingly globalized world. Whilst culture contact is perceived as a threat by some, others welcome the opportunity to learn about different perspectives and to broaden their horizon. Can ... [more ▼]

We live an increasingly globalized world. Whilst culture contact is perceived as a threat by some, others welcome the opportunity to learn about different perspectives and to broaden their horizon. Can this openness towards diversity be taught? Research into the benefits of intercultural exchanges for students exists, yet these studies usually focus only on the student perspective. In our qualitative study we investigate if and how parental values regarding openness can be passed on to children. We analyze both, the perspective of the parents who value intercultural exchanges and that of their children. We carried out an in-depth case study with a family with four children (two sons and two daughters, now aged between 17 and 23) who each participated in long-term exchanges aged between 7 and 10 in France, and a second exchange as teenagers (aged 13 and 16) to an English-speaking country. The family also hosted several guest children. We developed an interview guide, with adapted versions for parents and children, to obtain an in-depth understanding for the parental values, their parenting style, and the motivation of the children to go on these exchanges and their (lasting) experiences thereafter. Each family member was interviewed separately after obtaining informed consent. Whilst all children appreciated the opportunity and agreed that the experience fostered independence and self-efficacy, they also differed regarding how these exchanges affected them – both, whist being away and on return. The parents emphasized the importance of trust in the process – both in trusting their children as well as in the host families. They also observed that only families with a larger number of children participated in the exchanges at a young age, – noting that the notion of sharing is already established. These findings will be discussed – also against the background of the emerging phenomenon of helicopter parenting. [less ▲]

Family First: Evidence of Consistency and Variation in the Value of Family Versus Personal Happiness Across 49 Different Cultures

in Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (2023), 54(3), 323-339

People care about their own well-being and about the well-being of their families. It is currently, however, unknown how much people tend to value their own versus their family’s well-being. A recent ... [more ▼]

People care about their own well-being and about the well-being of their families. It is currently, however, unknown how much people tend to value their own versus their family’s well-being. A recent study documented that people value family happiness over personal happiness across four cultures. In this study, we sought to replicate this finding across a larger sample size (N = 12,819) and a greater number of countries (N = 49). We found that the strength of the idealization of family over personal happiness preference was small (average Cohen’s ds = .20, range −.02 to.48), but present in 98% of the studied countries, with statistical significance in 73% to 75%, and variance across countries <2%. We also found that the size of this effect did vary somewhat across cultural contexts. In Latin American cultures highest on relational mobility, the idealization of family over personal happiness was very small (average Cohen’s ds for Latin America = .15 and .18), while in Confucian Asia cultures lowest on relational mobility, this effect was closer to medium (ds > .40 and .30). Importantly, we did not find strong support for traditional theories in cross-cultural psychology that associate collectivism with greater prioritization of the family versus the individual; country-level individualism–collectivism was not associated with variation in the idealization of family versus individual happiness. Our findings indicate that no matter how much various populists abuse the argument of “protecting family life” to disrupt emancipation, family happiness seems to be a pan-culturally phenomenon. Family well-being is a key ingredient of social fabric across the world, and should be acknowledged by psychology and well-being researchers and by progressive movements too. [less ▲]

Bachelor Study Programms of Psychology: Moving towards more culture-inclusive curricula

Scientific Conference (2022, July 07)

One facet of contemporary societies is their increasingly diverse composition. To what extent has this diversity entered the teaching of psychology to undergraduate students? The Bologna Process created ... [more ▼]

One facet of contemporary societies is their increasingly diverse composition. To what extent has this diversity entered the teaching of psychology to undergraduate students? The Bologna Process created the European Higher Education Area, defining qualifications and learning outcomes and making higher-education qualifications in Europe comparable. Study programs need to meet the standards and guidelines for the quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015). In addition, national psychological associations such as the German Association for Psychology (DGPs) introduce a special catalogue of course content, study programs need to comply with to achieve quality control accreditation. The field is constantly expanding with pressure to include the latest developments, for example in the field of neuro-cognitive sciences. This makes for already very tight curricula – yet how can we enhance the awareness of and increase the competences in dealing with ethnic and cultural diversity in the next generation of psychology students? Possible avenues of building a culture-inclusive curriculum will be shown by building on the analysis of the cultural content of introductory psychology textbooks. An extensive analysis of the cultural content of introductory psychology textbooks has shown that it is possible to integrate cultural references into all topics taught in psychology. There are different ways to do so – options will be presented and discussed as well as examples of good practice provided. Importantly, teaching of culture is not relegated to specialized courses – cultural examples can be cited in any subfield or facet of psychology. In addition, some examples on how to include the cultural lens will be provided from the Bachelor of Psychology Program (BAP) taught at the University of Luxembourg. These examples are thought as impulses for a discussion towards more inclusive teaching of psychology in an increasingly diverse European cultural context. [less ▲]

Subjective age, worry and risk-related perceptions in older adults in times of a pandemic

in PLoS ONE (2022), 17(9), 0274293

During the Covid-19 pandemic, older people have been in the spotlight of the public debate. Given their higher risk of severe outcomes of the disease, they have been described as especially vulnerable and ... [more ▼]

During the Covid-19 pandemic, older people have been in the spotlight of the public debate. Given their higher risk of severe outcomes of the disease, they have been described as especially vulnerable and as a burden to others and society. We thus wanted to investigate how older people’s perception of their own age, that is their subjective age, as well as their Covid-19 related risks and worries were related during the pandemic and whether these relationships varied according to participants’ subjective health. We used data from the longitudinal CRISIS study which was conducted in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg in June and October 2020. Participants were aged 60–98 and responded on questionnaires regarding their subjective age, worry of falling ill with Covid-19, perceived risk of contracting the virus, perceived risk of falling seriously ill if they contracted Covid-19, as well as their subjective health and covariates. Three cross-lagged panel models were constructed to explore the longitudinal, bidirectional relationships between the variables. Cross-sectionally, a higher subjective age was related to more perceived risk of a serious course of disease. Longitudinally, subjective age and worry did not show any significant association over time, and neither did subjective age and perceived risk of contracting the virus. However, subjective health significantly moderated the relationship of worry and subjective age, showing different trajectories in the relationship depending on whether subjective health was good or bad. Higher perceived risk of falling seriously ill increased subjective age over time. Again, subjective health moderated this relationship: the perceived risk of falling seriously ill affected subjective age only for those with better subjective health. Our findings show the interactive relationship between subjective age and Covid-19 related cognitions and emotions and provide guidance for identifying older people that are most susceptible for negative age-related communication during the pandemic. [less ▲]

Exploring the Relationship Between Subjective Age and Worry for Older Adults in Times of a Pandemic

in Innovation in Aging (2021, November), 5(Supplement_1), 593-593

Given the role of age as a risk factor in the covid pandemic, we examined the longitudinal cross-lagged relationship between subjective age and Covid-related worry, and possible moderators of this ... [more ▼]

Given the role of age as a risk factor in the covid pandemic, we examined the longitudinal cross-lagged relationship between subjective age and Covid-related worry, and possible moderators of this relationship. Data were obtained at two-time points (June and October 2020) by a phone/online survey, from N = 611 older participants (Mage = 69.92 years). Participants felt on average 10 and 8.5 years younger than their chronological ages at the two-time points, respectively. Younger subjective age at T1 increased the level of worry at T2 irrespective of age, perceived control and subjective health. Higher worry increased subjective age at T2, but only for those with worse subjective health. Our results show that subjective age and Covid-related worry interact over time. This relation needs to be explored further in order to understand the relationship between subjective age and well-being especially, but not only in the pandemic context. [less ▲]

Visual primes as culture-sensitive method to understanding acculturation processes

Scientific Conference (2021, July 31)

One facet of contemporary societies is their increasingly divers composition. With a foreign population percentage of 47, 5 %, Luxembourg is an example for a super-diverse society and provides a rich ... [more ▼]

One facet of contemporary societies is their increasingly divers composition. With a foreign population percentage of 47, 5 %, Luxembourg is an example for a super-diverse society and provides a rich context to explore acculturation processes. The majority of immigrants have European roots, but the number of non-European immigrants is rising. Within this qualitative study we examined the identity construction processes of eight Japanese women living in Luxembourg using several visual primes guiding the interview. Building on Ying-yi Hong’s work on cultural mixing we developed hybrid images to evoke affective responses and to capture the negotiation processes between cultures. The choice of images was carefully prepared and first involved an ethnographic study of cultural dimensions of Japan and Luxembourg. Based on this analysis we decided to explore the domains of beauty, food, living, leisure and family. For each domain, we chose a prototypical European and Japanese image and created a hybrid image. All images were culturally meaningful and anchored in real life experiences. The Japanese images were tested in a pilot study in Japan. The interviews were carefully planned, each phase involving different visual stimuli. In the opening phase, the interviewer presented a business card in three different designs – European, Japanese and a mixed version. Interviewees could choose their preferred version and explain their choice. Next, a series of 15 matched typical images of Japan and Luxembourg were shown and the interviewees again chose their preferred images and explained their choice. Finally, the five sets of domain-specific images were presented. These provided a context for narration and especially the reaction to the hybrid stimuli showed how participants negotiate their cultural identities. The visual primes made the negotiation strategies visible. Findings from this study and the potential of this culture-sensitive method for accessing the process of acculturation will be discussed. [less ▲]

Multicultural Identity Integration – the importance of the context of the family

Scientific Conference (2021, July 28)

Acculturation has been described as multidimensional process consisting of the confluence of different cultural practices, values and identifications. A growing body of research focuses on the ... [more ▼]

Acculturation has been described as multidimensional process consisting of the confluence of different cultural practices, values and identifications. A growing body of research focuses on the understanding identifications of persons growing up with multiple cultural experiences and how these influences are negotiated within themselves. The current study draws on a qualitative design and involved a semi-structured interview and two exercises designed to stimulate reflection on cultural influences. We recruited eight female participants, aged between 21 and 25 years, who all grew up in Germany. Their parents originate from a wide range of countries of various cultural distance to Germany. Fairly homogenous in terms of socioeconomic status and educational background, the sample was very diverse in terms of cultural influences. Half of our participants grew up in mixed national families. Building on the multicultural identity integration research we were particularly interested whether participants identify with one cultural group over others (categorization), keep their influences separate (compartmentalization) or link their cultural influences (integration) and drivers for each outcome. The results point towards the important role of parents regarding cultural resources and practices. Our results point to categorization, if there is little or no contact to one parent, compartmentalization, if the relationship between parents is conflicted and integration if both parents engage equally in cultural maintenance. Families are the primary socialization unit and our findings suggest that parental commitment to transfer of cultural values and practices impacts the cultural identity configurations. Findings will be discussed in a systemic perspective of identity construal processes. [less ▲]

Symposium: Crossing borders – feeling connected? An exploration of drivers influencing the development of a sense of belonging in the receiving society

Scientific Conference (2021, July 08)

Migrants face the complex task of establishing bonds with the receiving society. The development of a sense of belonging is linked to subjective wellbeing. The present panel investigates factors ... [more ▼]

Migrants face the complex task of establishing bonds with the receiving society. The development of a sense of belonging is linked to subjective wellbeing. The present panel investigates factors influencing the development of a sense of belonging. It brings together researchers from four different countries, applying different methodological approaches examining the development of belonging among different migrant groups. Jean Décieux explores the role of cultural distance in the host country adjustment process. Suggesting a multidimensional conceptualization of cultural distance, he presents findings based on recently migrated German nationals (N = 2856) drawn from the German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study (GERPS). The role of cultural distance in negotiating belonging among young migrant women growing up in Germany is the subject of Elke Murdock’s qualitative study. Results point to the important role of parents in the process. How parents’ commitment or lack of commitment affects their children’s construction of their sense of belonging is the focus of Anna Gruszczynska’s qualitative study among immigrant youth in the UK. She shows the fluctuating nature of the pursuit of belonging in time and space. Gry Paulgaard focuses on immigrants arriving in the rural space of Northern Norway. The project explores everyday life practices of refugees taking the materiality of a place as a starting point, acknowledging the interdependency between the social and material contexts for practice. Finally, Isabelle Albert investigates practices by older migrants living in multicultural Luxembourg, their engagement or otherwise in social practices and how this impacts on their sense of belonging. [less ▲]