Violated Expectations and Acculturative Stress Among US Hispanic Immigrants

    Authors

    C. Negy; S. Schwartz;A. Reig-Ferrer

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Cult. Divers. Ethn. Minor. Psychol.

    Keywords

    expectancy violation; acculturative stress; Hispanic immigrants; SOCIOCULTURAL ADJUSTMENT; MARITAL SATISFACTION; COLLEGE-STUDENTS; MENTAL-HEALTH; EXPECTANCY; AFRICAN; DISCRIMINATION; PREDICTORS; DEPRESSION; HARASSMENT; Ethnic Studies; Psychology, Social

    Abstract

    Expectancy violation theory (EVT) was tested with 112 Hispanic immigrants living in the United States by determining whether discrepancies between their retrospectively recalled premigration expectations about life in the United States and their postmigration (actual) experiences in the United States would predict their levels of acculturative stress. Discrepancies were assessed in 4 domains (ability to communicate with English speakers, perceiving their communities and the United States as safe, obtaining adequate employment, and experiencing racism). Overall, the results indicated that discrepancies between premigration expectations and postmigration experiences were associated significantly with acculturative stress, although some of the findings were counter to EVT. Also, on the basis of a hierarchical regression analysis, the discrepancies significantly, albeit modestly, contributed to the prediction of acculturative stress beyond the predictive ability of general demographic variables and postmigration experiences. Implications for clinical interventions and research opportunities with EVT and Hispanic immigrants are discussed.

    Journal Title

    Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology

    Volume

    15

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2009

    Document Type

    Article; Proceedings Paper

    Language

    English

    First Page

    255

    Last Page

    264

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000268470500006

    ISSN

    1099-9809

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