Title

Violated Expectations and Acculturative Stress Among US Hispanic Immigrants

Authors

Authors

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

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

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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