BICULTURALISM AND PERCEIVED COMPETENCE OF LATINO IMMIGRANT ADOLESCENTS

The present study investigated acculturation to the Hispanic and Ameri can cultures and self-perceptions of competence among 123 Latino immig rant adolescents. The study tested a contextual model of biculturalism by examining whether different acculturation styles predicted perceiv ed competence in life spheres with different cultural demands. Perceiv ed competence was assessed using Hal-ter's (1988) Self-Perceptions of Competence Profile for Adolescents for the life spheres of school, pee rs (both Latino and non-Latino), and global self-worth. In addition, a n analogous scale to assess perceptions of competence in the family wa s constructed for that sphere. The study found some support for a cont extual model of acculturation. Acculturation to American culture predi cted positive self-perceptions of competence with American peers, whil e acculturation to Hispanic culture predicted positive self-perception s of competence with Latino peers. Perceived family competence, howeve r was predicted by acculturation to American rather than Hispanic cult ure. Results with respect to biculturalism are tentative, with a trend relating biculturalism to positive self-perceptions of global self-wo rth. However because,many of the conditions stipulated by the model we re not met, results with respect to biculturalism raise questions abou t current approaches to operationalizing the construct.