Cultural Identity and Social Adjustment: The Mediating Role of Acculturative Stress
Keywords:
Cultural Identity, Social Adjustment, Acculturative StressAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of acculturative stress in the relationship between cultural identity and social adjustment among culturally diverse individuals residing in Bulgaria.
Methods and Materials: This research adopted a descriptive correlational design with a sample of 390 participants selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie sample size determination table. Participants were culturally diverse residents of Bulgaria who completed standardized questionnaires measuring cultural identity (Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure), acculturative stress (Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students), and social adjustment (Social Adjustment Scale – Self-Report). Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS-27, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed using AMOS-21 to examine the direct and indirect relationships among the study variables.
Findings: Pearson correlation results indicated a significant positive correlation between cultural identity and social adjustment (r = 0.38, p < .001), a significant negative correlation between cultural identity and acculturative stress (r = -0.42, p < .001), and a significant negative correlation between acculturative stress and social adjustment (r = -0.45, p < .001). The SEM results confirmed that acculturative stress significantly mediated the relationship between cultural identity and social adjustment. The model demonstrated good fit indices (χ² = 111.82, df = 48, χ²/df = 2.33, CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.057). The total effect of cultural identity on social adjustment was significant (β = 0.14, p < .01), including both direct (β = 0.29, p < .001) and indirect (β = -0.15, p < .001) paths.
Conclusion: Cultural identity plays a crucial role in promoting social adjustment, both directly and through its negative influence on acculturative stress. These findings underscore the importance of supporting cultural identity development and reducing acculturative stress to facilitate successful adaptation in multicultural societies.
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