Ethnic Identity and Collective Self-Esteem Mediate the Effect of Anxiety and Depression on Quality of Life in a Migrant Population

Migration processes can often trigger negative interactions with the context, generating problems in both the physical and mental health of migrants, which have an impact on both their well-being and their quality of life. In this framework, the research aimed to assess the mediating effect of ethnic identity and collective self-esteem on the inverse relationship between mental health problems and quality of life. Data were collected from 908 first-generation Colombian migrants living in Chile, of whom 50.2% were women and with an average age of 35 years. They were assessed with The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL)-Bref, Smith’s ethnic identity questionnaire, Basabe’s collective self-esteem, and Beck’s Anxiety and Depression questionnaires. The results provide evidence that both collective self-esteem and ethnic identity exert a partial mediation effect on the relationship between anxiety and depression on quality of life. The study provides evidence of the protective role that the maintenance and reinforcement of ethnic identity and collective self-esteem can have, with a view to strengthening the planning of interventions both in the field of prevention of mental health problems and in the improvement of quality of life based on evidence.

YouTube as my space: The relationships between YouTube, social connectedness, and (collective) self-esteem among LGBTQ individuals

The objective of this study was to investigate YouTube as a venue for social connection among LGBTQ individuals ( N = 428). Exposure to LGBTQ YouTubers positively contributed to self-esteem and collective self-esteem (specific to the LGBTQ community). Social connectedness mediated the relationship between exposure to LGBTQ YouTubers and self-esteem, which was moderated by social support and outness. Viewing LGBTQ YouTubers was positively related to social connectedness among participants open about their LGBTQ identities and who reported the lowest social support, but negatively related to social connectedness among those concealing their LGBTQ identities and who reported very strong social support. Open-ended data suggest that entertainment and social connection were the primary motivations for viewing YouTube videos. Results are discussed in terms of minority stress, and the value of social media platforms for social connection with like-others among marginalized populations.

Indicators of Identity and Psychological Well-Being in Immigrant Population

Multiple research has indicated that group identity processes are critical to understanding the dynamics of psychological well-being linked to migration. However, few studies have analyzed the relationship between identity from different theoretical perspectives, and the mental health of migrants in the Latin-American context. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between several identity indicators such as ethnic identity, collective self-esteem, identity fusion (with the country of origin and the host country) simultaneously, and different dimensions of psychological well-being of Colombian migrants living in Chile. The sample consisted of 887 Colombian migrants, of whom 435 (49%) were men and 452 (51%) were women. Participants were residents of the cities of Arica (n=204; 23%), Antofagasta (n=469; 52.9%), and Santiago (n=214; 24.1%) in Chile. The results revealed by structural equation modeling indicate that collective self-esteem and ethnic identity show positive relationships with almost all dimensions of psychological well-being, while identity fusion with Colombia only showed a positive relationship with the dimension positive relationships and identity fusion with Chile only showed a positive relationship with the dimension autonomy. Implications and limitations of these results are discussed at the end.

Influence of celebrities and online communities on Indian consumers' green clothing involvement and purchase behavior

PurposeThe study examined the role of collective self-esteem (CSE), online communities, green attitudes and the influence of celebrities on green clothing involvement and consequently its impact on green clothing purchase behavior of Indian consumers.Design/methodology/approachA mix of convenience and random sampling was used for data collection via an online survey. The sample (n = 403) comprised consumers having awareness about green clothing. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for analysis.FindingsOnline communities, green attitudes and influence of celebrities predicted green clothing involvement and in turn their purchase behavior. CSE had no impact on consumers' green clothing involvement.Practical implicationsThe findings can help green apparel manufacturers and designers to use celebrities and online communities to educate and promote the benefits of green clothing. Social media can be employed to share experiences and engage consumers about green clothing.Originality/valueSince online networking sites are gaining predominance in influencing behavior, the study extends the earlier research on social influence by examining its role along with celebrities and CSE on green apparel involvement and purchase. The study combines celebrities, online communities and collective identity influences (offline and online) in predicting green clothing purchase in India.

Biculturalism and Self-Esteem: Differential Associations Based on Cultural Domain

Acculturation is multidimensional in that it encompasses both heritage and dominant cultural orientations, and it can take place across multiple domains; therefore, biculturalism, an acculturation strategy involving strong orientations to both heritage and dominant cultures, can also occur for the domains of behaviors and practices, values and beliefs, and cultural identity. The current study is the first to compare the relations between biculturalism and self-esteem across these three cultural domains. Mexican American undergraduate students ( N = 219; Mage = 18.82 years, SD = 1.09), who were primarily women (72.15%) and born in the US (81.74%), responded to an in-person survey. We found that biculturalism is differentially associated with personal and collective self-esteem depending on the domain, with stronger associations for bicultural behaviors and weaker associations for bicultural values. Our findings highlight the importance of recognizing the multidimensionality of biculturalism in theory, research, and practice.

How Does Social Currency Influence Prosocial Behavior? The Role of Collective Self-Esteem and Communication Network Heterogeneity

The social currency, the existing potential resource in the social networks and communities of an individual, has become more significant in the era of information technology. Meanwhile, the rapid development of Internet service, especially its application on mobile devices, brings many new contents of prosocial behaviors (PBs), which benefits both individuals and communities. Specifically, social currency plays a positive role in promoting PB, forming positive personalities, promoting positive social adaptation, and contributing to human survival and social development. However, the theoretical research in this field still lags far behind the development of practice, and the research on the impact of social currency on PB remains exceedingly scarce. Grounded in the social exchange theory (SET), the present study collects a total of 497 WeChat user questionnaires, constructs a model for the influence mechanism of social currency on PB, and tests the hypothesis through hierarchical regression. According to the results obtained, it was found that the social currency is positively associated with PB, and users with a more social currency are more likely to act prosocially on their own. The PB of an individual is then influenced by the social currency generated through collective self-esteem (CS) so that the perception of CS can be considered as a mediating variable. Moreover, the communication network heterogeneity (CNH) moderates the above relationship, and the degree of heterogeneity will have different effects on the relationship of CS. The obtained conclusions enrich the previous theoretical results of PB and provided new insights for social managers to enhance the prosocial-related behaviors for the group, organization, and society.

Acculturation, Health Behaviors, and Social Relations among Chinese Immigrants Living in Spain

This study aims to identify acculturation experiences about social relations and health behaviors of first-generation Chinese immigrants in the South of Spain, including food patterns, physical exercise, and tobacco and alcohol use. A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews, informal conversations, and field notes. All data were analyzed under the Berry’s Model of Acculturation. A total of 133 Chinese immigrants were included. Our findings show that separation was the dominant acculturation strategy, followed by integration and assimilation, while marginalization was not present in this immigrant population. Most of the immigrant population maintains a link to the customs of their home country, favoring the process of identity and collective self-esteem. These results can help health managers and the government to further understand Chinese immigrants in Europe and to establish appropriate health interventions to this group.

The Loyalty Program for Our Self-Esteem: The Role of Collective Self-Esteem in Luxury Hotel Membership Programs

This research explores the social mechanism of luxury hotel membership programs and extends current loyalty program literature that has mainly examined membership programs from a mental-accounting perspective. By building upon the social identity theory, this study posits that luxury hotel membership programs provide social platforms, allowing members to construct a collective identity and collective self-esteem. Consequently, collective self-esteem is proposed as an antecedent of customer–brand relationship constructs, such as commitment, switching resistance, and word of mouth. Members from two South Korean luxury hotel membership programs were recruited to participate in a survey to test these constructs’ relationship, and findings demonstrate that membership programs’ effectiveness in cultivating a robust customer–brand relationship is contingent upon members’ collective self-esteem with the program. This correlation involves the four dimensions of collective self-esteem: membership esteem, private esteem, public esteem, and importance to identity. This study is preeminent to the current literature by identifying a critical psychological mechanism, which luxury hotel brand managers can leverage to successfully launch a membership program that ultimately cultivates enduring customer–brand relationships. The results of this study also suggest several managerial implications for hotel marketers to effectively design and manage membership programs by considering collective self-esteem’s four dimensions.

Understanding the links between self-concept, sociocultural deviance and mental health problems in pathological social withdrawal

Pathological social withdrawal (PSW), an extreme form of socially avoidant behaviour, is emerging as a global public health issue. Prior PSW theories implicate personal values that deviate from sociocultural norms resulting in inner conflict and mental health problems. Speculatively, this conflict could manifest or be embedded within a person’s cognitive and affective self-concepts (self-construal and self-esteem respectively). In this study, we tested the hypotheses that compared to those without PSW, individuals with PSW would have lower personal and collective self-esteem, and endorse independent and/or interdependent self-construals to differing degrees. 343 Taiwanese adults completed a two-step online survey, which consisted measuring their social withdrawal condition, sociocultural deviance, personal/collective self-esteem, independent/interdependent self-construal and mental health problems. As expected, data showed that the affected group had lower self-esteem than the unaffected group, but no group difference emerged in either self-construal dimension. We also found that personal self-esteem in the PSW group was (concurrently) associated with sociocultural deviance and symptoms of poor mental health. Our results tentatively supported theories of PSW, suggesting that the influences individuals’ personal self-esteem and sociocultural deviance should be considered in future studies or treatments/preventions.