The Handbook of Multicultural Identity: Basic and Applied Psychological Perspectives, 2014
This chapter provides a comprehensive framework that integrates research on the socio-cognitive p... more This chapter provides a comprehensive framework that integrates research on the socio-cognitive processes and outcomes of biculturalism. First, this chapter offers an overview of the psychology of multiculturalism, including early definitions and typologies of multicultural experiences. Second, this chapter examines how Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), the degree to which biculturals perceive their two cultural identities as compatible versus oppositional and fused versus compartmentalized, influences biculturals' cognitive and motivational processing. Third, a theoretical model called the Integrative Psychological Model of Biculturalism (IPMB) is proposed as a comprehensive framework for understanding the social-cognitive correlates of biculturalism. Specifically, the IPMB examines individual and contextual antecedents of variations in bicultural experience, and how these processes influence self-concept, cultural frame switching, knowledge bridging, cognitive complexity, motivation as well as their psychological, social, and behavioral outcomes. The IPMB has implications beyond biculturals to those managing multiple identities around gender, religion, and profession as well.
Research on Managing Groups and Teams: Diversity and Groups, 2008
In this chapter, we posit that identity integration, an individual difference variable measuring ... more In this chapter, we posit that identity integration, an individual difference variable measuring the degree to which multiple and disparate social identities are perceived as compatible, moderates the relationship between team diversity and innovation. Prior research shows that individuals with higher levels of identity integration exhibit higher levels of innovation on tasks that draw from identity-related knowledge systems. In this chapter, we extend this research to examine how innovation can be increased in cross-functional teams. We propose that reinforcing the compatibility between functional identities within a team facilitates access to functionally unique knowledge systems, which in turn increases team innovation.
The Oxford Handbook of Multicultural Identity, 2014
This chapter provides a comprehensive framework that integrates research on the socio-cognitive p... more This chapter provides a comprehensive framework that integrates research on the socio-cognitive processes and outcomes of biculturalism. First, this chapter offers an overview of the psychology of multiculturalism, including early definitions and typologies of multicultural experiences. Second, this chapter examines how Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), the degree to which biculturals perceive their two cultural identities as compatible versus oppositional and fused versus compartmentalized, influences biculturals' cognitive and motivational processing. Third, a theoretical model called the Integrative Psychological Model of Biculturalism (IPMB) is proposed as a comprehensive framework for understanding the social-cognitive correlates of biculturalism. Specifically, the IPMB examines individual and contextual antecedents of variations in bicultural experience, and how these processes influence self-concept, cultural frame switching, knowledge bridging, cognitive complexity, motivation as well as their psychological, social, and behavioral outcomes. The IPMB has implications beyond biculturals to those managing multiple identities around gender, religion, and profession as well. Keywords: bicultural, multicultural, bicultural identity integration (BII), integrative psychological model of biculturalism (IPMB), cultural frame switching (CFS) Variations in Multicultural Experience: Influence of Bicultural Identity Integration on Socio-Cognitive Processes and Outcomes Multiculturalism has become a reality of life in today's world. Many individuals have migrated to a different culture than the one in which they were born, move regularly between cultures (e.g., transnationalism), live in nations colonized by a different cultural group, have parents from different cultures, or reside within close proximity with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds. According to the 2010 U.S. census, for example, 4.2 million children are multiracial; this group has grown almost 50% since 2000, when the very first time respondents were allowed to check more than one box regarding their race (Williams, 2012; see also Sanchez, Shih, & Wilton, this volume). An increasing number of people are now known as "third-culture kids," "global cosmopolitans," or "global nomads"; these are people who do not identify with only one culture, but associate with multiple cultures or a combination of different cultures (Brimm, 2010). To complicate the picture further, these individuals manage their multiple cultural identities in different ways; some find it easy to integrate their multiple cultural identities and feel proud of their multicultural status, whereas others struggle between the cultural groups with which they are associated, deciding to identify with one or neither, or switching between them (Benet-Martínez, 2012). A comprehensive psychology of culture must take into account how multiculturalism is experienced, managed, and negotiated in these people's everyday lives. Indeed, a thriving psychological scholarship of biculturalism has emerged during the past decade (see Benet-Martínez, 2012; Hong, Wan, No, & Chiu, 2007; Nguyen & Benet-Martínez, 2010 for recent reviews). Some scholars have focused on individuals with multicultural demographic or sociological characteristics-for example, individuals who have a mixed racial or ethnic background, have lived in more than one country or immigrated from one country to another, have parents from different cultures, or have lived in societies where they are exposed to multiple cultural groups (e.g.
In two studies drawing from social identity theory and the creative-cognition approach, we found ... more In two studies drawing from social identity theory and the creative-cognition approach, we found that higher levels of identity integration-perceived compatibility between two social identities-predict higher levels of creative performance in tasks that draw on both identity-relevant knowledge domains. Study 1 showed that Asian Americans with higher identity integration were more creative in developing new dishes using a given set of ingredients, but only when both Asian and American ingredients were available. Study 2 showed that female engineers with higher identity integration were more creative in designing a product, but only when the product was targeted to female users. These findings suggest that the psychological management of multiple social identities may be related to accessibility of multiple knowledge domains, which in turn influences creativity.
Reaping the Rewards of Diversity: The Role of Identity Integration
Social and …, 2008
Social and Personality Psychology Compass 2/3 (2008): 11821198, 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2008 .00103.... more Social and Personality Psychology Compass 2/3 (2008): 11821198, 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2008 .00103.x ... Reaping the Rewards of Diversity: The Role ... Chi-Ying Cheng1, Melissa Sanders2, Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks2, Kristine Molina2, Fiona Lee2*, Emily Darling2 and Yu ...
Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), or biculturals' perceived compatibility between their two ... more Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), or biculturals' perceived compatibility between their two cultural identities, has been found to predict a variety of psychological processes and behavioral outcomes. However, it is not clear why biculturals differ in their levels of BII. We suggest that the valence of bicultural experiences influences BII. Furthermore, we predict that biculturals' level of BII can be changed momentarily by recalling valenced bicultural experiences. An experimental study manipulating recall of positive or negative bicultural experiences found that recalling positive bicultural experiences increased BII, whereas recalling negative bicultural experiences decreased BII. However, recalling experiences irrelevant to bicultural experiences did not change BII. Theoretical and practical implications of the malleability of BII are discussed.
This article examines how multiracial individuals negotiate their different and sometimes conflic... more This article examines how multiracial individuals negotiate their different and sometimes conflicting racial identities. Drawing from previous work on bicultural identity integration (see Benet-Martínez & Haritatos, 2005), we proposed a new construct, multiracial identity integration (MII), to measure individual differences in perceptions of compatibility between multiple racial identities. We found that MII is composed of two independent subscales: racial distance that describes whether different racial identities are perceived as disparate, and racial conflict that describes whether different racial identities are perceived as in conflict. We also found that recalling positive multiracial experiences increased MII, while recalling negative multiracial experiences decreased MII. These findings have implications for understanding the psychological well-being of multiracial individuals, and the development of social policy and programs catered to this population.
International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2021
How do biculturals, or individuals who identify with more than one culture, manage their loyaltie... more How do biculturals, or individuals who identify with more than one culture, manage their loyalties between two cultural ingroups? We argue that this process is moderated by Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), or individual differences in perceived conflict between two cultural identities. Two quasi-experiments examined biculturals' preferences for two competing groups, each representing one of their cultural identities, in response to cultural primes. In Study 1, we found that Flemish-Belgian biculturals with low BII, or those who perceive their cultural identities as conflicting, favored the primed cultural group less than the unprimed cultural group. In Study 2, we found the same effect among Asian-American biculturals, but only when the cultural primes were positive. These findings show that low BIIs exhibit psychological reactance to cultural primes that are seen as threatening to the self, which in turn affect their loyalties to competing cultural ingroups.
This article investigates how Singaporeans' creativity is influenced by Kiasu, an indigenous cons... more This article investigates how Singaporeans' creativity is influenced by Kiasu, an indigenous construct corresponding to fear of losing out. We examine the impact of Kiasu on creativity, both as a personal value and a shared cultural norm in four studies. Study 1 showed that Singaporeans' Kiasu value endorsement predicts lower individual creativity. Study 2 demonstrated that this negative relationship is mediated by a self-regulatory focus on prevention. Study 3 further showed the impact of Kiasu as a personal value and a cultural norm by finding a significant three-way interaction effect of Kiasu prime, personal Kiasu value endorsement, and need for cognitive closure on participants' creativity. Study 4 addressed the Singaporean paradox and found that Singaporeans exhibit higher creativity when primed with their multi-ethnic culture than under control conditions. However, those who associated Singapore with Kiasu lost this advantage. These findings support the situated dynamics framework of cultural influence on behavior such that values, norms, and situational cues play a role in producing a cultural pattern of creative performance. This research also has implications for how to incubate creative performance in Asian countries.
The Handbook of Multicultural Identity: Basic and Applied Psychological Perspectives, 2014
This chapter provides a comprehensive framework that integrates research on the socio-cognitive p... more This chapter provides a comprehensive framework that integrates research on the socio-cognitive processes and outcomes of biculturalism. First, this chapter offers an overview of the psychology of multiculturalism, including early definitions and typologies of multicultural experiences. Second, this chapter examines how Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), the degree to which biculturals perceive their two cultural identities as compatible versus oppositional and fused versus compartmentalized, influences biculturals' cognitive and motivational processing. Third, a theoretical model called the Integrative Psychological Model of Biculturalism (IPMB) is proposed as a comprehensive framework for understanding the social-cognitive correlates of biculturalism. Specifically, the IPMB examines individual and contextual antecedents of variations in bicultural experience, and how these processes influence self-concept, cultural frame switching, knowledge bridging, cognitive complexity, motivation as well as their psychological, social, and behavioral outcomes. The IPMB has implications beyond biculturals to those managing multiple identities around gender, religion, and profession as well.
Research on Managing Groups and Teams: Diversity and Groups, 2008
In this chapter, we posit that identity integration, an individual difference variable measuring ... more In this chapter, we posit that identity integration, an individual difference variable measuring the degree to which multiple and disparate social identities are perceived as compatible, moderates the relationship between team diversity and innovation. Prior research shows that individuals with higher levels of identity integration exhibit higher levels of innovation on tasks that draw from identity-related knowledge systems. In this chapter, we extend this research to examine how innovation can be increased in cross-functional teams. We propose that reinforcing the compatibility between functional identities within a team facilitates access to functionally unique knowledge systems, which in turn increases team innovation.
The Oxford Handbook of Multicultural Identity, 2014
This chapter provides a comprehensive framework that integrates research on the socio-cognitive p... more This chapter provides a comprehensive framework that integrates research on the socio-cognitive processes and outcomes of biculturalism. First, this chapter offers an overview of the psychology of multiculturalism, including early definitions and typologies of multicultural experiences. Second, this chapter examines how Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), the degree to which biculturals perceive their two cultural identities as compatible versus oppositional and fused versus compartmentalized, influences biculturals' cognitive and motivational processing. Third, a theoretical model called the Integrative Psychological Model of Biculturalism (IPMB) is proposed as a comprehensive framework for understanding the social-cognitive correlates of biculturalism. Specifically, the IPMB examines individual and contextual antecedents of variations in bicultural experience, and how these processes influence self-concept, cultural frame switching, knowledge bridging, cognitive complexity, motivation as well as their psychological, social, and behavioral outcomes. The IPMB has implications beyond biculturals to those managing multiple identities around gender, religion, and profession as well. Keywords: bicultural, multicultural, bicultural identity integration (BII), integrative psychological model of biculturalism (IPMB), cultural frame switching (CFS) Variations in Multicultural Experience: Influence of Bicultural Identity Integration on Socio-Cognitive Processes and Outcomes Multiculturalism has become a reality of life in today's world. Many individuals have migrated to a different culture than the one in which they were born, move regularly between cultures (e.g., transnationalism), live in nations colonized by a different cultural group, have parents from different cultures, or reside within close proximity with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds. According to the 2010 U.S. census, for example, 4.2 million children are multiracial; this group has grown almost 50% since 2000, when the very first time respondents were allowed to check more than one box regarding their race (Williams, 2012; see also Sanchez, Shih, & Wilton, this volume). An increasing number of people are now known as "third-culture kids," "global cosmopolitans," or "global nomads"; these are people who do not identify with only one culture, but associate with multiple cultures or a combination of different cultures (Brimm, 2010). To complicate the picture further, these individuals manage their multiple cultural identities in different ways; some find it easy to integrate their multiple cultural identities and feel proud of their multicultural status, whereas others struggle between the cultural groups with which they are associated, deciding to identify with one or neither, or switching between them (Benet-Martínez, 2012). A comprehensive psychology of culture must take into account how multiculturalism is experienced, managed, and negotiated in these people's everyday lives. Indeed, a thriving psychological scholarship of biculturalism has emerged during the past decade (see Benet-Martínez, 2012; Hong, Wan, No, & Chiu, 2007; Nguyen & Benet-Martínez, 2010 for recent reviews). Some scholars have focused on individuals with multicultural demographic or sociological characteristics-for example, individuals who have a mixed racial or ethnic background, have lived in more than one country or immigrated from one country to another, have parents from different cultures, or have lived in societies where they are exposed to multiple cultural groups (e.g.
In two studies drawing from social identity theory and the creative-cognition approach, we found ... more In two studies drawing from social identity theory and the creative-cognition approach, we found that higher levels of identity integration-perceived compatibility between two social identities-predict higher levels of creative performance in tasks that draw on both identity-relevant knowledge domains. Study 1 showed that Asian Americans with higher identity integration were more creative in developing new dishes using a given set of ingredients, but only when both Asian and American ingredients were available. Study 2 showed that female engineers with higher identity integration were more creative in designing a product, but only when the product was targeted to female users. These findings suggest that the psychological management of multiple social identities may be related to accessibility of multiple knowledge domains, which in turn influences creativity.
Reaping the Rewards of Diversity: The Role of Identity Integration
Social and …, 2008
Social and Personality Psychology Compass 2/3 (2008): 11821198, 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2008 .00103.... more Social and Personality Psychology Compass 2/3 (2008): 11821198, 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2008 .00103.x ... Reaping the Rewards of Diversity: The Role ... Chi-Ying Cheng1, Melissa Sanders2, Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks2, Kristine Molina2, Fiona Lee2*, Emily Darling2 and Yu ...
Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), or biculturals' perceived compatibility between their two ... more Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), or biculturals' perceived compatibility between their two cultural identities, has been found to predict a variety of psychological processes and behavioral outcomes. However, it is not clear why biculturals differ in their levels of BII. We suggest that the valence of bicultural experiences influences BII. Furthermore, we predict that biculturals' level of BII can be changed momentarily by recalling valenced bicultural experiences. An experimental study manipulating recall of positive or negative bicultural experiences found that recalling positive bicultural experiences increased BII, whereas recalling negative bicultural experiences decreased BII. However, recalling experiences irrelevant to bicultural experiences did not change BII. Theoretical and practical implications of the malleability of BII are discussed.
This article examines how multiracial individuals negotiate their different and sometimes conflic... more This article examines how multiracial individuals negotiate their different and sometimes conflicting racial identities. Drawing from previous work on bicultural identity integration (see Benet-Martínez & Haritatos, 2005), we proposed a new construct, multiracial identity integration (MII), to measure individual differences in perceptions of compatibility between multiple racial identities. We found that MII is composed of two independent subscales: racial distance that describes whether different racial identities are perceived as disparate, and racial conflict that describes whether different racial identities are perceived as in conflict. We also found that recalling positive multiracial experiences increased MII, while recalling negative multiracial experiences decreased MII. These findings have implications for understanding the psychological well-being of multiracial individuals, and the development of social policy and programs catered to this population.
International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2021
How do biculturals, or individuals who identify with more than one culture, manage their loyaltie... more How do biculturals, or individuals who identify with more than one culture, manage their loyalties between two cultural ingroups? We argue that this process is moderated by Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), or individual differences in perceived conflict between two cultural identities. Two quasi-experiments examined biculturals' preferences for two competing groups, each representing one of their cultural identities, in response to cultural primes. In Study 1, we found that Flemish-Belgian biculturals with low BII, or those who perceive their cultural identities as conflicting, favored the primed cultural group less than the unprimed cultural group. In Study 2, we found the same effect among Asian-American biculturals, but only when the cultural primes were positive. These findings show that low BIIs exhibit psychological reactance to cultural primes that are seen as threatening to the self, which in turn affect their loyalties to competing cultural ingroups.
This article investigates how Singaporeans' creativity is influenced by Kiasu, an indigenous cons... more This article investigates how Singaporeans' creativity is influenced by Kiasu, an indigenous construct corresponding to fear of losing out. We examine the impact of Kiasu on creativity, both as a personal value and a shared cultural norm in four studies. Study 1 showed that Singaporeans' Kiasu value endorsement predicts lower individual creativity. Study 2 demonstrated that this negative relationship is mediated by a self-regulatory focus on prevention. Study 3 further showed the impact of Kiasu as a personal value and a cultural norm by finding a significant three-way interaction effect of Kiasu prime, personal Kiasu value endorsement, and need for cognitive closure on participants' creativity. Study 4 addressed the Singaporean paradox and found that Singaporeans exhibit higher creativity when primed with their multi-ethnic culture than under control conditions. However, those who associated Singapore with Kiasu lost this advantage. These findings support the situated dynamics framework of cultural influence on behavior such that values, norms, and situational cues play a role in producing a cultural pattern of creative performance. This research also has implications for how to incubate creative performance in Asian countries.
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