Acculturation and cognitive performance of migrant children in the Netherlands

FJR van de Vijver*, M Helms-Lorenz, MJA Feltzer

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

69 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Acculturative strategies and cognitive acculturation were studied among 118 Dutch migrant children (age: 7-12 years). Both an exploratory factor analysis and a Linear Logistic Test Model analysis provided evidence for the bipolar unidimensionality of Berry's four acculturation strategies; integration constituted one pole and assimilation, separation, and marginalization the other. Integration was by far the most popular strategy. Cognitive performance was measured by the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test, school report measures, and a computer-assisted choice reaction-time measure. A good fit was found for a structural model that postulated cognitive acculturation as the latent variable linking background measures (i.e. acculturation strategy, second language usage, age, and gender) to the cognitive measures. Relationships between background variables and cognitive performance were stronger in the first than in the second generation. Both older children and children who favour an integration strategy showed a higher degree of cognitive acculturation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)149-162
Number of pages14
JournalInternational Journal of Psychology
Volume34
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - Jun-1999

Keywords

  • CULTURAL-DIFFERENCES
  • MEXICAN-AMERICAN
  • SCALE
  • IMMIGRANTS
  • STYLE

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