Kurapov A. Psychological factors of the personality acculturation strategy selection

The research focuses on the study of psychological factors of the personality acculturation strategy choice. It presents the main factors that contribute to the selection of a specific acculturation strategy; describes typical personal profiles that describe personality features in terms of the acculturation strategy choice; shows a generalized model that was developed to determine the choice of acculturation strategy, depending on specific psychological factors. Theoretical analysis allowed to utilize two-dimensional acculturation research model that predetermined psychological factors. Cross-cultural and psychological-anthropological approaches to acculturation were combined in order to present individual psychological characteristics of a migrant in the interaction with the host society. Individual psychological characteristics were derived from a theoretical model that was developed basing on the specificity of the approach to acculturation as such. Consequently, corresponding methods were selected allowing to research variables that are coherent with the proposed psychological factors of acculturation. Variety of applied statistical methods confirmed reliability and validity of the research. Results allowed to create typical personality profiles that describe personality traits in terms of the acculturation strategy choice. The development of a prediction model was also performed: it presents the dependence between psychological characteristic (or a set of characteristics) that lead to the choice of one specific model of acculturation. In addition, the most sensitive stage of acculturation was defined: identity crisis. This stage is crucial for the selection of acculturation strategy since it is possible to change the result of the individual selection. Results allowed to present a combination of socio-demographic and psychological variables that are crucial for the choice of a specific acculturation strategy. The work proposes that integration is most oftenly chosen by individuals with projected femininity, openness and purposefulness; those are mostly young people with an average level of cultural distance, who do not use their native language for communication, mainly went to study or via an exchange program and feel themselves culturally protected. Assimilation is chosen by individuals who have a strong trust in the hosting society; mostly representatives of early adulthood who have a low cultural distance, do not use native language for communication and feel culturally safe. Separation is chosen by individuals who are rather sensitive, closed, hysterical, purposeful, impulsive and prone to aggression, those are mainly the representatives of late adulthood, with a high cultural distance, who communicate in their native language and do not experience cultural security. Marginalization is chosen by infantile individuals; representatives of late adulthood who mainly migrate for work, do not communicate in their native language and do not experience cultural security.