Self-monitoring: A moderating role between acculturation strategies and adaptation of immigrants

Abstract

The study examines the relationship between immigrants’ adaptation, acculturation strategies and self-monitoring. One-hundred-and-sixty-two Polish immigrants (mean age=31.3 years, SD=7.28) living in Rome participated in the study. The majority of the participants (66.0%) were females. A Questionnaire containing scales for assessing Sociocultural adaptation, Psychological adaptation, Attitudes towards social relationships with Italians and Poles, and Self-monitoring was administered. Using adaptation indices as criteria in moderated multiple regression analyses, we found main effects of self-monitoring and of assimilation and integration strategies, and interactive effects of self-monitoring and assimilation or integration strategy. Self-monitoring was positively related both to sociocultural and psychological adaptation in all the regressions. Assimilation and integration strategies in most of cases were also positively related to both types of adaptation. Such main effects, however, were qualified by the interactive effects. As far as sociocultural adaptation is concerned, simple slope analysis showed that: (a) the positive effect of choosing assimilation is much stronger for high self-monitor immigrants than for low self-monitor ones; (b) the effect of choosing integration is positive for low self-monitor immigrants, but negative for high self-monitor ones.

As far as psychological adaptation is concerned, simple slope analysis shows that: (a) the effect of choosing assimilation is negative for high self-monitor immigrants and positive for low self-monitor ones; (b) the positive effect of choosing integration is stronger for high self-monitor immigrants than for low self-monitor ones.

The implications of the findings for intercultural relationships are discussed