Is the Association Between Multicultural Personality and Ethnic Tolerance Explained by Cross-Group Friendship?

More Kindness, Less Prejudice against Immigrants? A Preliminary Study with Adolescents

Prejudice against immigrants is a relevant research topic within social psychology. Researchers identified several individual variables affecting anti-immigrant prejudice, such as morality and personality. However, until now, prejudice has never been studied in relation to kindness, which might be a significant protective factor against prejudice. Based on Kohlberg's theory of moral judgement, four stage dimensions of kindness were identified, from egocentric to authentic kindness (i.e., a means for social progress and improvement). This study aims to explore the relationship between the four kindness dimensions and blatant and subtle prejudice against immigrants in adolescence, by also considering the moderating role of adolescents' sex. It involved 215 Italian participants (77% girls), who were asked to fill in a self-report questionnaire. Results showed that boys scored higher on egocentric kindness than girls, but no sex differences emerged for prejudice. Egocentric and extrinsically motivated kindness appeared to be risk factors for prejudice, whereas the most authentic form of kindness was a protective factor. In addition, adolescents' sex moderated the relationship between egocentric kindness and blatant prejudice, whereby this association was stronger for boys. The implications of these findings, the study's limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Organisational and staff-related effects on cultural competence in the hospital setting: a cross-sectional online survey of nursing and medical staff

Background

Cultural competence is considered a core qualification for dealing with socio-cultural diversity and balancing disparities in health care.

Objectives

To explore features supporting and inhibiting cultural competence in the hospital at both organisational and staff levels.

Design

Cross-sectional online survey in the form of a full census from May to November 2018.

Setting

Two organisations that run a total of 22 hospitals in Germany.

Participants

Eight hundred nursing and medical professionals [nurses: n = 557; doctors: n = 243].

Methods

Using the Short Form Cultural Intelligence SCALE (SFCQ), cultural competence was measured and its relation to potential influencing factors at staff level and organisational level examined, using bivariate (t-Test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson and Spearman correlations) and multivariate (multiple linear regression) approaches. Model 1 examined features at organisational level, Model 2 at individual level and Model 3 included organisational and individual features.

Results

The mean cultural competence measured was 3.49 [min.: 1.3; max.: 5.0]. In the bivariate and isolated multivariate models [Models 1 and 2], factors on both organisational and individual levels were significantly related to the hospital staff’s cultural competence. The multivariate overview [Model 3], however, revealed that individual features at staff level were the statistically relevant predictors. Positive influencing features included staff’s assessment of the importance of cultural competence in their professional context [B: 0.368, 95% confidence interval 0.307; 0.429], participation in competence training [B: 0.193; 95% confidence interval 0.112; 0.276] and having a migration background [B: 0.175; 95% confidence interval 0.074; 0.278], while negative features included length of medical service [B: -0.004; 95% confidence interval -0.007; -0.001].

Conclusions

The development and practice of cultural competence appear to be determined less by organisational features and more on the level of individual actors. In addition to staff development, adequate organisational structures and an economic incentive system are required to promote sociocultural diversity in hospitals.

The rejection and acceptance of Muslim minority practices: A person-centered approach

In Western societies, generalized prejudice and anti-Muslim sentiments can be major drivers of the rejection of Muslim religious practices. However, people can also reject such practices for other reasons, such as concerns about civil liberties or the secular nature of the state. With national samples of German and Dutch majority members ( N = 3,703), we used a multiple-acts-multiple-actors design to simultaneously examine attitudes toward four religious practices of three religious groups. Latent profile analysis revealed a subgroup of people that used a double standard and more strongly rejected Muslims than Christians and Jews engaging in the same practices (discriminatory rejection, 16.3%). However, four other subgroups responded to the practices independently of religious group (equal acceptance, 18.3%; equally moderate, 35%; equal rejection, 17.3%; and partial equal rejection, 13.1%). The five subgroups differ on key psychological correlates and self-reported reasons for rejection. We conclude that a multiple-acts-multiple-actors design provides a more nuanced understanding of how majority members evaluate Muslim minority practices in Western nations.

The Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (SF-40): Adaptation and Validation of the Spanish Version

The coexistence of diverse cultures in our society indicates the need to examine the factors related to the success of multicultural interactions. The study aims were to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire short form (MPQ-SF40), in a convenience sample of 392 university students. Then, the effect of sex and age was assessed, and finally, the levels and percentiles of multicultural personality were measured. The scale's validity was assessed with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA). Reliability was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted (AVE). The final structure of the MPQ-SF40 consisted of 18 items grouped into five factors that present adequate psychometric properties. Sex-specific differences in MPQ-SF40 were statistically significant for factor 1, cultural empathy, and for factor 5, flexibility; women showed greater values. When age was analyzed, significant low correlations were obtained. The students showed medium to high levels of multicultural personality. The highest levels correspond to the personality factors of cultural empathy and open-mindedness. The use of the Spanish version of the MPQ-SF40 seems justified to determine students' multicultural personality traits, developing intervention programs to improve social support and the interpersonal relations between students.

The effects of ethnic identity and acculturation in mental health of immigrants: A literature review

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this literature review was to highlight the studies on mental health in relation to acculturation and ethnic identity and to identify research gaps. The results can be used to help inform future immigrant mental health workers and policy makers as well as provide information about the implications of immigrant mental health.

METHODS

The literature search was conducted electronically, directed by a variety of key words. The search focused on five areas of immigrant mental health importance: (1) acculturation; (2) acculturation and mental health; (3) ethnic identity; (4) ethnic identity and mental health; and (5) acculturation, ethnic identity and mental health. A total of 171 articles were examined and 110 were included in the review.

RESULTS

The information is presented in the following categories: acculturation; acculturation and mental health; ethnic identity; ethnic identity and mental health; and acculturation, ethnic identity and mental health. Research gaps are also presented.

CONCLUSION

Overall, literature shows that acculturation, ethnic identity and mental health are closely related to one another affecting both, individuals and communities. This literature review will help to better inform practitioners who may encounter immigrants experiencing mental health issues due to acculturation and ethnic identity pressure. This review may also help policy makers identify specific obstacles that are not addressed in immigration policies which can affect the implementation of these policies. In addition, the information presented can be used as an instrument for researchers in the field. Despite the limited amount of information about immigrant mental health challenges, much work remains to fully support the affected individuals and their families.

Self-protection and growth as the motivational force behind majority group members' cultural adaptation and discrimination: A parallel mediation model via intergroup contact and threat

What motivates majority group members to adapt to or reject cultural diversity? Considering the relevance of personal values on our attitudes and behaviours, we inspected how self-protection and growth predict levels of discriminatory behavioural and cultural adaptation intentions towards migrants via intergroup contact and perceived intergroup threats, simultaneously (i.e., parallel mediation). Specifically, positive contact between groups is known for reducing prejudice through diminishing perceived intergroup threats. Yet current research emphasises the role of individual differences in this interplay while proposing a parallel relationship between perceived intergroup threats and contact. Also by inspecting cultural adaptation and discriminatory behavioural intentions, the present study examined more proximal indicators of real-world intergroup behaviours than explored in past research. Using data from 304 US Americans, structural equation modelling indicated a good fit for a parallel mediation model with growth relating positively to cultural adaptation intentions and negatively to discriminatory behavioural intentions through being positively associated with intergroup contact and negatively with perceived intergroup threats, simultaneously. The reverse was found for self-protection. These findings stress that personal values constitute a relevant individual difference in the contact/threats-outcome relationship, providing a motivational explanation for majority group members' experience of cultural diversity in their own country.

The association between cross-cultural competence and well-being among registered native and foreign-born nurses in Finland

BACKGROUND

A growing body of research indicates that cross-cultural competence in nurses can improve migrant patients' health-related outcomes, but little is known about the potential benefits of cross-cultural competence on the nurses' own well-being.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether cross-cultural competence (empathy, skills, positive attitudes, and motivation) is associated with perceived time pressure at work, psychological distress, and sleep problems among registered nurses in Finland, and whether there are differences in these potential associations between native and foreign-born nurses.

METHODS

The present cross-sectional study was based on a sample of 212 foreign-born nurses licensed to practice in Finland and a random sample of 744 native Finnish nurses. Data were collected with a questionnaire and analyzed using multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling (SEM).

RESULTS

Of all four dimensions of cross-cultural competence, only empathy was associated with perceived time pressure (β = -0.13, p = .018), distress (β = -0.23, p < .001), and sleep problems (β = -0.14, p = .004) after the adjustment for gender, age, employment sector, and frequency of interacting with patients and colleagues from different cultures. There were no differences between native and foreign-born nurses in these observed associations (all ps > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Cross-cultural empathy may protect against perceived time pressure, distress, and sleep problems in both native and foreign-born nurses. Thus, the promotion of this component of cross-cultural competence among nursing personnel should be encouraged.

Does multicultural personality moderate the relationship between cross-group friendship and allophilia?

Contact research has well documented the beneficial effects of cross-group interactions in general, and friendship potential in particular, in promoting positive attitudes toward outgroups. Yet, most of the studies to date have mainly focused on reducing negative attitudes and prejudice. Extending emerging attempts in social and psychological research to understand positive outgroup orientations, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between cross-group friendship and allophilia (i.e., positive outgroup attitudes) in a sample of 406 American undergraduates. The study also examined whether individual differences in multicultural personality play a moderating role in this relationship. Findings revealed that cross-group friendship was positively associated with allophilia, and that the relationship was stronger for individuals who scored low on open-mindedness and high on social initiative. The present study highlights the important role of multicultural personality in the linkage between close cross-group interactions and positive outgroup attitudes.