Measuring multicultural ideology: Scale development and validation in different languages and contexts

Scientific Conference (2021, July)

Increased migration has led to the formation of culturally diverse societies in many places around the world. The concept of Multicultural Ideology incorporates two values as a way to promote positive ... [more ▼]

Increased migration has led to the formation of culturally diverse societies in many places around the world. The concept of Multicultural Ideology incorporates two values as a way to promote positive intercultural relations: a) Diversity: the presence of ethnocultural diversity in the population and b) Equity: the right for equal participation of all cultural groups in the society. Both diversity and equity are necessary conditions for the success of multicultural policies. Culturally heterogeneous communities that do not support inclusion and equitable participation of all groups face the negative consequences of segregation and marginalization. In line with this notion, an international research consortium is developing a revised version of the Multicultural Ideology Scale to assess the endorsement of multicultural ideology in different national contexts. The scale aims to distinguish various attitudinal dimensions of multiculturalism, relevant to the acceptance of diversity and social inclusion of different ethnocultural groups: Cultural Maintenance, Social Interaction, Equity/Inclusion, Extent of Differences, Conflictual Relations, Essentialistic Boundaries. We present the first assessment of the new scale in the German language. The survey was administered online to a sample of native German citizens (N = 382) with different demographic characteristics. Our aim was to understand the attitude of native citizens towards cultural diversity and their willingness to have members of ethnic minority groups be included in the larger society. We investigated the factor structure of the scale, its psychometric properties, and the relationship between multicultural ideology and some individual difference variables, such as ethnic group attachment and social dominance orientation. [less ▲]

Development and Validation of the Revised Multicultural Ideology Scale in Germany and Luxembourg

in Psychological Reports (2021)

A revised version of the Multicultural Ideology Scale (rMCI; Berry 2020; Berry et al., 1977) is currently being developed to measure endorsement of multiculturalism in different cultural contexts. The ... [more ▼]

A revised version of the Multicultural Ideology Scale (rMCI; Berry 2020; Berry et al., 1977) is currently being developed to measure endorsement of multiculturalism in different cultural contexts. The current study, which is part of this cross-cultural research project, presents the first assessment of the rMCI scale in the German language. The measure aims to cover several attitudinal dimensions of multiculturalism, relevant to the integration of different ethnocultural groups: Cultural Maintenance, Equity/Inclusion, Social interaction, Essentialistic Boundaries, Extent of Differences, and Consequences of Diversity. Two independent datasets were acquired from Germany (N = 382) and Luxembourg (N = 148) to estimate the factor structure of the rMCI using different confirmatory factor analysis techniques. The findings suggest that a 4-factor solution, including Cultural Maintenance, Equity/Inclusion, Social interaction, and Consequences of Diversity, was the best fit for the data. Most of these subscales demonstrated adequate psychometric properties (internal consistency, convergent, and discriminant validity). The 4-factor model of the rMCI was partially invariant across the two ethnic groups and full measurement invariance was established across gender. [less ▲]

Implicit Attitudes and Beliefs about Diversity (Cancelled due to COVID-19)

Poster (2020, June)

Short abstract: The study examined attitudes towards multiculturalism in two European countries (Germany and Luxembourg). The findings reveal a positive relationship between implicit and explicit ... [more ▼]

Short abstract: The study examined attitudes towards multiculturalism in two European countries (Germany and Luxembourg). The findings reveal a positive relationship between implicit and explicit attitudes. Between group differences in the endorsement of diversity ideologies can be attributed to personality and biographical factors. [less ▲]

Associations between perceived discrimination and life satisfaction: An ecological momentary assessment pilot study of adolescents

Poster (2019, August 31)

Perceived discrimination is an important predictor of life satisfaction in ethnic minority groups (Villegas-Gold & Hyung Chol Yoo, 2014). Discriminatory practices are related to lower levels of subjective ... [more ▼]

Perceived discrimination is an important predictor of life satisfaction in ethnic minority groups (Villegas-Gold & Hyung Chol Yoo, 2014). Discriminatory practices are related to lower levels of subjective well-being and greater anxiety (Clark, Anderson, Clark, & Williams, 1999). The present study aims to extend these findings by assessing the affective consequences of perceived discrimination with the use of experience sampling methodology. We are interested in within person changes in subjective well-being that occur as a result of perceived discrimination. International high-school students (N = 30) attending at European school of Luxembourg were recruited to participate in an e-diary study for a period of 10 days. Participants were first and second generation immigrants (Mage = 14.63, SD = .62) from different European and non-European countries, growing up in multicultural Luxembourg. Perceptions of discrimination by peers and teachers were assessed with a self-report questionnaire daily after school. Our measures captured different experiences of discrimination including discrimination based on gender, social status, ethnic origin, and physical appearance. Each evening, participants completed the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scales (BMSLSS), which assesses satisfaction with life in general and satisfaction in five domains that are considered important for adolescents: self, family, friends, living environment, and school context. The findings suggest that experiences of discrimination were associated with lower levels of subjective well-being. Participants were less satisfied with themselves, their relationships, and their school environment during the days they reported higher levels of discrimination experiences. With this pilot study using ecological momentary assessment, we develop a more dynamic understanding of the within-person variability of different facets of well-being among first and second generation adolescent immigrants and their discrimination experiences in different domains. [less ▲]

Longitudinal Approaches to Study Changes In Mood States And Subjective Well-Being: Multilevel Modeling Vs. Latent Growth Curve Analysis

Poster (2019, April 09)

Migration patterns in Luxembourg

E-print/Working paper (2018)

The Multicultural Ideology Scale (MIS): Factor structure and measurement invariance

Scientific Conference (2018, July 02)

The concept of multiculturalism has been widely used in cross-cultural research to describe positive attitudes towards a culturally plural society and practices that support cultural diversity. To date ... [more ▼]

The concept of multiculturalism has been widely used in cross-cultural research to describe positive attitudes towards a culturally plural society and practices that support cultural diversity. To date, attitudes towards multiculturalism among majority and minority group members have been assessed with the same instruments. However, there is little psychometric evidence that these measures operate appropriately in various cultural contexts. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the factor structure of the Multicultural Ideology Scale (MIS; Berry & Kalin, 1995) and test its measurement invariance across different language versions and ethnic groups. The entire sample consisted of 1572 adolescents and adults in Luxembourg, including native majority members (N = 693) and immigrants from diverse ethnic backgrounds (N = 879). Participants were given the option to complete the questionnaire in one of the following languages: English, German or French. The unidimensional model of multicultural ideology did not show an acceptable fit of the data across all language versions of the MIS. Exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses revealed a two-factor structure, which was partially invariant across two different language versions (English and German). The two factors reflected positive and negative attitudes towards cultural diversity respectively. Subsequent multigroup confirmatory factor analyses supported configural and metric invariance across majority and minority group members. Scalar invariance was not established, indicating that respondents across these two groups conceptualize multiculturalism in different ways. Implications of these findings are discussed together with methodological issues concerning the assessment of measurement invariance. [less ▲]

Identification patterns and subjective well-being in native and migrant emerging adults: The mediating role of self-efficacy

Poster (2018, May 18)

Background: Luxembourg is one of the most diverse countries in Europe with a foreign population percentage of 47%. National identification processes become complex for young adults growing up in this ... [more ▼]

Background: Luxembourg is one of the most diverse countries in Europe with a foreign population percentage of 47%. National identification processes become complex for young adults growing up in this multicultural context with important implications for psychological outcomes. Research has shown that salience of national identification is heightened within this multicultural context (Murdock, Hirst, & Ferring, 2014) while higher levels of national identification are associated with life satisfaction and better health outcomes. Other findings suggest that intercultural contact can contribute to the development of a shared identity in highly diverse areas. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in identification patterns among native and non-native emerging adults and potential factors that mediate their impact on subjective well-being. As the native population is almost in the minority within its own country, we wanted to explore the relationships between well-being, ethnic, and transnational identification among this group. Methods: The sample included 260 young adults, ranging from 18 to 29 years old (M = 21.78, SD = 2.36). Participants were native citizens of Luxembourg and immigrants from different ethnic backgrounds. They completed standardized self-report questionnaires, including the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Identification with Luxembourg was assessed with the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure. Based on previous studies (van de Vijver et al, 2015), a 7-item scale was developed for the assessment of cosmopolitan/transnational identification, including items that assess beliefs about global citizenship and the level of contact with people from different ethnic groups. Results: All participants reported high levels of Luxembourgish and cosmopolitan identification with average scores M = 3.23 (SD = .79) and M = 4.15 (SD = .49) respectively. There were no significant differences for Luxembourgish identification and well-being between natives and non-natives but participants with migratory background scored significantly higher on the cosmopolitan identity scale. Luxembourgish and cosmopolitan identity correlated positively with self-efficacy in both groups and self-efficacy perceptions were positively related to well-being. To examine the direct and indirect relationships among these variables, we tested path mediation models with the two identity domains as predictors. The first model tested the mediating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between identification patterns and well-being among native Luxembourgish citizens. The model showed a good fit χ²(1, N = 112) = .087, p = .768, RMSEA = .000, CFI = 1.00, indicating that ethnic identity was a significant predictor of self-efficacy perceptions which indeed mediated the effect of ethnic identification on well-being. Ethnic and transnational identification were not directly associated with the outcome variable. A second path model tested these relationships in the immigrant group χ²(1, N =145) = 2.452, p = .117, RMSEA = .100, CFI = .946. Neither identity component (Luxembourgish or cosmopolitan identity) was a significant predictor of subjective well-being but the findings suggest a mediating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between transnational identification and well-being. Discussion: The present study contributes to the literature by exploring potential individual difference variables that affect the link between identification patterns and life satisfaction. [less ▲]

Multicultural identity measures – attempts at measuring a dynamic process. A critical review of measures

Presentation (2017, October 18)

H επίδραση των παρευρισκομένων σε καταστάσεις έκτακτης ανάγκης

Article for general public (2015)