Showing papers by "Seth J. Schwartz published in 2006"
TL;DR: This paper argued that acculturation represents changes in cultural identity and personal identity has the potential to "anchor" immigrant people during their transition to a new society, emphasizing the experiences of nonwhite, non-Western immigrant people moving to Western nations.
Abstract: The present paper advances theoretical propositions regarding the relationship between acculturation and identity. The most central thesis argued is that acculturation represents changes in cultural identity and that personal identity has the potential to ‘anchor’ immigrant people during their transition to a new society. The article emphasizes the experiences of nonwhite, non-Western immigrant people moving to Western nations. The article also calls for research on heretofore unexplored aspects of the relationship of acculturation to personal and social identity. Ideas are proposed for interventions to promote cultural identity change and personal identity coherence.
509 citations
TL;DR: Results indicated that nativity was significantly associated with adoption of receiving-culture practices, with a small to moderate effect size, and years in the receiving culture was significantly related to adoption of received culture practices only for adolescent girls and for female caregivers who immigrated as youth.
Abstract: The current study was conducted to ascertain the validity of two commonly used markers of acculturation (nativity and years in the receiving culture) in an enclave context. Relationships between these markers and a bidimensional measure of acculturation were examined in a convenience sample of Hispanic immigrant adolescents and their caregivers in Miami. Nativity was examined using adolescent-reported data; approximately half of the youth were U.S.-born and half foreign-born, but all of the caregivers were foreign-born. Years in the receiving culture was examined using both adolescent and caregiver data. Results indicated that nativity was significantly associated with adoption of receiving-culture practices, with a small to moderate effect size. Years in the receiving culture was significantly associated with adoption of receiving-culture practices only for adolescent girls and for female caregivers who immigrated as youth. Neither nativity nor years in the receiving culture explained even moderate amoun...
161 citations
TL;DR: Although some participant characteristics predicted engagement, the parent-facilitator relationship quality at the initial contact was found to be the strongest predictor of engagement and within-group processes such as group cohesion positively predicted retention.
Abstract: Objective This study examined predictors of engagement and retention into a parentcentered, ecodevelopmental HIV preventive intervention for Hispanic adolescents and their families. The influence of retention on changes in adolescent HIV-risk attitudes was also examined. Methods Participants in this study were 91 Hispanic adolescents and their primary parents. Structural equation modeling was used to identify (a) predictors of initial engagement, (b) the effects of group processes on retention, and (c) the effects of retention on change HIV-risk attitudes in adolescents. Results Although some participant characteristics predicted engagement, the parent–facilitator relationship quality at the initial contact was found to be the strongest predictor of engagement. Furthermore, within-group processes such as group cohesion positively predicted retention. Finally, parent retention predicted decreases in adolescent HIV-risk attitudes. Conclusions The results may have important implications for engagement and retention in parent-centered interventions, as well as for reducing risks for HIV transmission in Hispanic adolescents. Implications for services research are also discussed.
104 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated direct and shared effects of family functioning and self-concept on the severity of adolescent externalizing problems in a sample of 224 clinically referred adolescents and found strong, direct relationships between problem behaviors and both family functioning.
Abstract: We investigated direct and shared effects of family functioning and self-concept on the severity of adolescent externalizing problems in a sample of 224 clinically referred adolescents. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed strong, direct relationships between problem behaviors and both family functioning and self-concept. Using R. M. Baron and D. A. Kenny's (1986) and G. N. Holmbeck's (1997) criteria for testing mediation in SEM, family functioning partially mediated the relationship between self-concept and problem behaviors. A moderation model, testing the relationship between externalizing problems and the interaction between family functioning and self-concept, did not yield a significant effect. Our findings indicate that self-concept and family functioning exert direct and shared effects on externalizing problems and suggest that interventions for clinically referred adolescents should target both the individual adolescent and his/her family.
85 citations
TL;DR: The authors reviewed 57 empirical articles published between 1993 and 2003 in 6 leading outlets for identity status research and found that 35% failed to report the ethnic composition of the sample, and 74% of the samples consisted primarily of White participants.
Abstract: Although identity status theory has inspired over 500 theoretical and empirical publications, it is unclear to what extent this tradition has incorporated non-White ethnic groups and theories of racial and ethnic identity development. We reviewed 57 empirical articles published between 1993 and 2003 in 6 leading outlets for identity status research and found that (a) 35% failed to report the ethnic composition of the sample, and (b) 74% of the samples consisted primarily of White participants. Given the increasing diversity of the United States and other Western countries, non-White ethnic groups need to be incorporated in identity status research, and the ethnic composition of research samples need to be adequately described. We review 4 models of racial and ethnic identity development that parallel the more general identity development process. We conclude by providing both methodological and theoretical suggestions for how identity status and racial or ethnic identity models can be integrated. Erikson’s (1963) eight-stage model of psychosocial development is one of the most influential life span developmental theories in the personality literature. It is by far the most frequently presented stage theory of development in both introduc
83 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a study was conducted to investigate differences in nurturant fathering, father involvement, and young adult psychosocial functioning among small samples of three nontraditional family forms.
Abstract: The present study was conducted to investigate differences in nurturant fathering, father involvement, and young adult psychosocial functioning among small samples of three nontraditional family forms. A total of 168 young-adult university students from three family forms (27 adoptive, 22 adoptive stepfather, 119 nonadoptive stepfather) completed retrospective measures of nurturant fathering and father involvement and measures of current psychosocial functioning. Results indicated that adoptive fathers were rated as the most nurturant and involved and that nonadoptive stepfathers were rated as the least nurturant and involved. In adoptive families, young adults’ ratings of paternal nurturance and involvement were strongly and positively correlated with their reports of current psychosocial functioning. The relationships of family form to reports of fathering appeared to be moderated by the child's age at father entry and the number of years of involvement in the child's life.
65 citations
TL;DR: Self-construction, eudaimonistic self-discovery, and agentic personality (as operationalized within the identity capital model) each showed differential patterns of relationships to measures of identity consolidation, suggesting that all three strategies can be used to develop a sense of identity.
59 citations
TL;DR: The authors investigated the extent to which the fathering role has expanded to include expressive functions, and found that seven of the eight most highly endorsed fathering functions were in the instrumental dimension.
Abstract: In the mid-20th century, Parsons and Bales characterized the fathering role in terms of instrumental functions such as providing income, protecting, and discipline. In the present study the authors investigated the extent to which the fathering role has expanded to include expressive functions. An ethnically diverse sample of 1,989 university students from intact and divorced families retrospectively reported on instrumental and expressive father involvement. Results indicated that, although family form and ethnicity moderated the divergence between instrumental and expressive father involvement, fathers from both family forms and from all ethnic groups were rated higher on instrumental than expressive involvement. Strikingly, across both family forms and ethnic groups, seven of the eight most highly endorsed fathering functions were in the instrumental dimension.
56 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that measurement error may have played a role in mean differences in identity status across 3 ethnic/cultural contexts and that data gathered using the EOM–EIS–II should be analyzed using latent variable methods.
Abstract: We conducted this study to examine measurement equivalence and mean differences in identity status across 3 ethnic/cultural contexts: White American, Hispanic American, and Swedish. We used the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status II (EOM-EIS-II; Bennion & Adams, 1986), a commonly used instrument in the identity status literature. We conducted analyses to ascertain the extent to which the EOM-EIS-II functioned equivalently in 3 ethnically/culturally different samples. The internal structure of the measure was consistent across contexts. When we statistically controlled effects of age and gender, mean differences tended to be largely cross-cultural at the observed level of analysis but to be both cross-ethnic and cross-cultural at the latent level of analysis. This divergence in findings was found despite the limited age range represented in each of the samples. We therefore concluded that measurement error may have played a role in these differences and that data gathered using the EOM-EIS-II should be analyzed using latent variable methods. We discuss results in terms of using the EOM-EIS-II with diverse populations.
53 citations
TL;DR: A stress-process model for Hispanic caregivers of adults with mental retardation that incorporates family functioning is validated, and family relationships mediated the relationship between maladaptive adult behaviors and family burden and higher levels of family burden were related to greater caregiver distress.
Abstract: Our aim in this study was to validate a stress-process model for Hispanic caregivers of adults with mental retardation that incorporates family functioning. The model postulates that malad...
52 citations
TL;DR: The article discusses the importance of preventing HIV in Hispanic adolescents and seven specific recommendations are advanced in areas that have the potential to further the field of HIV prevention for Hispanic adolescents.
TL;DR: In this paper, the extent to which self-concept is related to depressive and externalizing symptoms in Hispanic adolescents, in the presence of contextual variables, was examined, and the relationship of school bonding and peer antisocial behavior to adolescent-reported adjustment appeared to operate through selfconcept.
Abstract: The present study examined the extent to which self-concept is related to depressive and externalizing symptoms in Hispanic adolescents, in the presence of contextual variables. A sample of 167 Hispanic adolescents and their primary caregivers completed measures of family functioning, and of school bonding and competence. Adolescents completed measures of self-concept and peer antisocial behavior. Reports of depressive symptoms were gathered from adolescents only, whereas reports of externalizing symptoms were gathered from both adolescents and parents. Self-concept was directly and negatively related to adolescent reports of both depressive and externalizing symptoms, but not to parent reports of externalizing problems. The relationships of school bonding and peer antisocial behavior to adolescent-reported adjustment appeared to operate through self-concept, and the strong bivariate relationships of adolescent-reported family functioning to adolescent-reported adjustment appeared to operate through school bonding and self-concept. Implications for further research and for intervention are discussed.
TL;DR: Waterman et al. as mentioned in this paper extended the findings of earlier cross-sectional studies (Waterman, Schwartz, Green, Miller, and Philip, 2003) on the subjective experience of intrinsic motivation.
TL;DR: The objective of this article is to review the state of the science in evidence-based drug abuse treatments for Hispanic adolescents, highlight scientific opportunities, and offer recommendations to further the field of drug abuse treatment for this population.
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: Familias Unidas is an empirically supported, family-based, culturally specific drug abuse and HIV prevention intervention for Hispanic immigrant adolescents and their families that serves as a guide for social workers and mental health practitioners in carrying out effective family- based adolescent substance use and HIV preventive interventions.
Abstract: Objective: The objective of the present article is to review and discuss Familias Unidas, an empirically supported, family-based, culturally specific drug abuse and HIV prevention intervention for ...
TL;DR: Results indicated that adolescents from the 2 household types reported similar levels of problem behaviors, but that grandparents reported less delinquency with peers than did parents, and primary caregivers in grandparent-headed households reported less monitoring and supervision of peers and less within-family conflict.
Abstract: Grandparents play a critical role in African American families, providing support and important leadership functions. Little is known, however, about family functioning in grandparent-headed households with a drug-using adolescent. Such knowledge is particularly salient for researchers and therapists who work with drug-using adolescents and their families. Using a clinical sample of convenience, analyses were conducted to identify similarities and differences in adolescent substance use and behavior problems, family relationships, and family social ecology relationships between African American grandparent-headed (n=12) and parent-headed (n=54) households. Results indicated that adolescents from the 2 household types reported similar levels of problem behaviors, but that grandparents reported less delinquency with peers than did parents. Primary caregivers in grandparent-headed households reported less monitoring and supervision of peers and less within-family conflict. Implications for treatment are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined die relationships of the child's age at the time of divorce, the number of years elapsed since the divorce, and post-divorce coresidence with the father on retrospective reports of paternal nurturance and involvement in an ethnically diverse sample of 497 young adults from divorced families.
Abstract: The present analysis examined die relationships of the child's age at the time of divorce, the number of years elapsed since the divorce, and postdivorce coresidence with the father on retrospective reports of paternal nurturance and involvement in an ethnically diverse sample of 497 young adults from divorced families. Results indicated that participants who resided with their fathers at some point after the divorce rated their fathers significantly more favorably than did those who did not reside with their fathers following divorce. Moreover, the child's age at the time of divorce was significantly and positively related to paternal involvement and nurturance, suggesting that divorces occurring earlier in the child's life were more detrimental to the father-child relationship. The effects of timing of the divorce on father involvement were especially strong for instrumental fathering functions (e.g., involvement in school, discipline, protection). Implications for family court practices are di...
TL;DR: Castro et al. as discussed by the authors developed a knowledge base concerning the role of identity in acculturation and its implications for empirical research and for intervention, which can then be used to design and support intervention efforts.
Abstract: As both Côté and Hand point out in their commentaries, acculturation, identity, and culture are complex processes that are determined and affected by the contexts in which they operate. As we stated in our article in this issue, we do not dismiss the notion that culture and identity are complex and individualized phenomena that vary from one person or context to the next. However, our goal is pragmatic in that we wish to operationalize acculturation, identity, and culture for empirical research that can then be used to design and support intervention efforts. To design interventions that consist of core components but can be adapted for specifi c immigrant groups and receiving societies, we believe that it is necessary to develop ‘quasi-universal’ principles about what personal, social, and cultural identity are and how they operate and are affected by the experience and process of international migration. This assumption does not preclude adapting the intervention modality for specifi c situations, groups, and contexts; in fact, research has found that individuals are most likely to participate in interventions that are tailored for their specifi c personal and cultural circumstances [Castro, Barrera, & Martinez, 2004; Kumpfer, Alvarado, Smith, & Bellamy, 2004]. So in Hand’s example, the Mexican immigrant student in California would likely experience many of the same stressors (e.g., discrimination, marginalization) as other Mexican students – and therefore an intervention program designed to promote personal identity development could be tailored to accommodate the specifi c issues that this student and his peers face. Moreover, like any skilled clinician, the interventionist would focus on the specifi c life circumstances and challenges encountered by the individuals participating in the intervention. So the increased precision offered by Hand’s approach may in fact help to tailor interventions more effectively for specifi c individuals and situations. A larger issue that both Côté and Hand raise, and that we fully endorse, is the need for interdisciplinary attention to issues of acculturation and identity in immigrant individuals. Our aim was to begin to develop a knowledge base concerning the role of identity in acculturation and its implications for empirical research and for intervention. We fully agree that our approach is open to revision and expansion, particularly by scholars from other fi elds of inquiry. As psychologists, we focus large-