THE REAFFIRMATION OF CULTURAL-IDENTITY IN CROSS-CULTURAL ENCOUNTERS

This study examined the relation between cultural contact and psycholo gical aspects associated with cultural identity, as conceptualized in two research approaches: social identity theory and acculturation rese arch. The groups studied were German and US. American individuals who either lived in the respective nonnative culture (biculturals) or had no direct contact (monoculturals). Participants provided information a bout their sociocultural backgrounds and their cultural experiences, a nd they rated how characteristic each of 120 trait-attributes was of t hemselves, their native cultural group, and their nonnative cultural g roup. They also rated the attributes' desirability. Comparisons betwee n monocultural and bicultural groups revealed a reaffirmation effect. Compared with monoculturals, biculturals saw themselves as more simila r to their native cultural group, they evaluated that particular group 's attributes more positively, and they saw the two cultural groups as less similar to each other Theoretical implications of the reaffirmat ion effect are discussed.