Acculturation discrepancies and well-being: the moderating role of conformity

This study examines associations of immigrants' well-being with the discrep ancies they perceive between their own acculturation attitudes and the accu lturation expectations of members of the host society. A hundred immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union reported their personal value prior ities, their satisfaction with life, their attitudes towards acculturation, and their beliefs about what members of the dominant society require of th em. The immigrants believed that Israelis want them to relinquish their dis tinctive identity and to assimilate more than they themselves wish to do. A s hypothesized perceived pressure to assimilate correlated negatively with life satisfaction only among those who value conformity, but not among othe rs. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.