Asian-Americans' Creative Styles in Asian and American Situations: Assimilative and Contrastive Responses as a Function of Bicultural Identity Integration

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurelia Mok ◽  
Michael W. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Asian Americans ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Cultural Identities ◽  
Bicultural Identity ◽  
Creative Performance ◽  
Identity Integration ◽  
Bicultural Identity Integration ◽  
Creativity Research ◽  
Practical Implications

Bicultural individuals vary in the degree to which their two cultural identities are integrated. Among Asian-Americans, for instance, some experience their Asian and American sides as compatible whereas others experience them as conflicting. Past research on judgments finds this individual difference affects the way bicultural individuals respond to situations that cue their cultures. Asian-Americans with high bicultural identity integration (BII) assimilate to norms of the cued culture (e.g., they exhibit typically American judgments when in situations that cue American culture), whereas Asian-Americans with low BII do the opposite, contrasting against the cue (e.g., they exhibit typically Asian judgments when in American situations). We investigated whether this dynamic similarly affects creative performance, which differs cross-culturally in that novelty is encouraged more by American than East Asian norms. In two experiments, we found that cues to American (vs. Asian) culture increase the novelty of solutions in divergent thinking tasks for Asian-Americans with high BII (assimilative response) yet decrease it for Asian-Americans with low BII (contrastive response). We discuss theoretical implications for culture and creativity research and practical implications for firms seeking to foster creativity.

Bicultural and Generalized Identity Integration Predicts Interpersonal Tolerance

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 644-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah T. Huff ◽  
Fiona Lee ◽  
Ying-yi Hong
Keyword(s):  
Social Identities ◽  
Cultural Identities ◽  
Bicultural Identity ◽  
Identity Integration ◽  
Bicultural Identity Integration ◽  
Positive Trait ◽  
Trait Inferences ◽  
Practical Implications

In this article, we test the hypothesis that individuals with higher levels of identity integration—or those who perceive their different social identities as more blended and harmonious—will exhibit greater interpersonal tolerance toward others holding dissimilar values and preferences. Three studies examined this hypothesis using bicultural identity integration (or perceived blendedness and harmony between multiple cultural identities) and generalized identity integration (or perceived blendedness and harmony between one’s social identities in general). We find that individuals who perceive higher levels of blendedness, but not harmony, between their social identities are more tolerant of dissimilar others, as demonstrated by making more positive trait inferences about them. We also find that experimentally increasing identity integration leads to more positive trait inferences. Our findings have theoretical and practical implications for managing conflict between individuals and groups.

scholarly journals Matching Versus Mismatching Cultural Norms in Performance Appraisal

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurelia Mok ◽  
Chi-Ying Cheng ◽  
Michael W. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Cultural Identities ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Bicultural Identity ◽  
Identity Integration ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Bicultural Identity Integration ◽  
Cultural Setting ◽  
And Behavior

The present study examined how biculturals (Asian-Americans) adjust to differing cultural settings in performance appraisal. Biculturals vary in the degree to which their two cultural identities are compatible or oppositional — Bicultural Identity Integration (BII). The authors found that individual differences in BII interacted with the manipulation of the cultural setting (American or Asian) in determining whether employee outcomes were evaluated as matching or mismatching cultural norms. Results showed that Asian-Americans with high BII gave less weight to employees’ situational conditions in the American setting (matching American cultural norms) and more weight in the Asian setting (matching Asian cultural norms), whereas those with low BII showed the opposite pattern, giving more weight to employees’ situational conditions in the American setting (mismatching American cultural norms) and less weight in the Asian setting (mismatching Asian cultural norms). We discuss the implications of understanding bicultural identity dynamics in managerial judgment and behavior.

Biculturalism

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth J. Schwartz ◽  
Dina Birman ◽  
Verónica Benet-Martínez ◽  
Jennifer Unger
Keyword(s):  
Bicultural Identity ◽  
Identity Integration ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Bicultural Identity Integration ◽  
Frame Switching ◽  
Cultural Frame Switching ◽  
Practical Implications

This chapter reviews the construct of biculturalism, focusing on individuals with multiple cultural backgrounds. The chapter focuses on biculturalism as a heterogeneous label, and it covers several variants of biculturalism that have been studied. A number of biculturalism-related constructs are discussed, including endorsement of two or more cultural streams, cultural frame switching, bicultural identity integration, globalization-based biculturalism, and triculturalism (endorsement of three or more cultural streams). Distinctions between biculturalism and triculturalism are discussed, along with consideration of situations in which more than three cultural streams may be intersecting. The chapter concludes with a section on practical implications of biculturalism and on interventions to promote biculturalism in individuals and families.

Bicultural Identity Integration

2021 ◽  
pp. 244-284
Author(s):  
Verónica Benet-Martínez ◽  
Fiona Lee ◽  
Chi-Ying Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Individual Difference ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Cultural Identities ◽  
Bicultural Identity ◽  
Identity Integration ◽  
Bicultural Identity Integration ◽  
Societal Factors ◽  
Historical Factors ◽  
The Social

In this chapter, the authors examine the social-personality processes underlying multiculturalism and multicultural identity and the cultural and societal factors that influence these phenomena. They focus the discussion on bicultural identity integration (BII), an individual difference construct describing the extent to which a bicultural individual experiences her two cultural identities as compatible and integrated versus oppositional and compartmentalized. Drawing from the literatures of acculturation, social-personality and cultural psychologies, and interculturalism studies, the authors review research on the antecedents and outcomes associated with BII. While there is extensive evidence showing that BII is psychologically consequential, and also an important moderator of how multicultural individuals respond to different kinds of cultural information and demands, there remains pressing needs to understand the developmental trajectories that influence BII, the role of macro societal and historical factors in how BII changes, and how BII can be used to understand multiculturalism in social collectives.

scholarly journals Nostalgia and Biculturalism: How Host-Culture Nostalgia Fosters Bicultural Identity Integration

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-191
Author(s):  
Katerina Petkanopoulou ◽  
Tim Wildschut ◽  
Constantine Sedikides
Keyword(s):  
Host Country ◽  
Home Country ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Cultural Identities ◽  
Bicultural Identity ◽  
Identity Integration ◽  
Bicultural Identity Integration ◽  
Two Cultures ◽  
Host Culture ◽  
Acculturation Orientation

Individuals who have been exposed to and internalized two cultures vary in the degree to which they perceive their cultural identities as compatible (bicultural identity integration; BII). An experiment tested whether nostalgia, an emotion that is prevalent among bicultural individuals, influences BII and does so via acculturation orientation toward the host culture. Participants were originally from Greece, living in other European countries. We instructed them to recall nostalgic or ordinary events either from their host country or home country. We then assessed acculturation orientation and BII. We hypothesized and found that host-nostalgia increased BII both directly and indirectly via a more positive acculturation orientation toward the host culture. The findings extend the literature on factors that facilitate BII, and showcase the potential of nostalgia to improve biculturality.

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