The proposed protect in vested gates cross-cultural minority identity development (the process of minority identity formation as a product of migration and acculturation) and cultural differences in coping with minority status. Study 1 consists of a longitudinal field study with international students (accelerated cohort-sequential design). Specifically, we will test a theoretical model of minority identity development using latent variable growth curve modeling. As a result of acculturation, we predict that many foreign students of color (individuals who are majority-identified in their country of origin) will experience an eventual shift in majority to minority identity along racial-lines. The development of a minority identity will be moderated by (ANTECEDENTS): Internal factors (e.g., need for affiliation/social support, attitudes toward the dominant culture, etc.) and External factors (e.g., perceived discrimination, perceived acceptance by the minority community, etc.). We will also test the central hypothesis that minority identification is associated with higher self-esteem and superior psychological functioning over time (CONSEQUENCES). In Study 2, we will manipulate perceptions of minority status and examine specific cognitive mediators of minority well-being (including Victim Schemata, assessed with an Implicit Association Test) using structural equation modeling techniques. In Study 3, we will manipulate cultural variables (individualism-collectivism and dialecticism) that are hypothesized to influence coping with minority status.
