Tridimensional (3D) Acculturation: Ethnic Identity and Psychological Functioning of Tricultural Jamaican Immigrants

Ferguson, Gail M.
Iturbide, Maria I.
Gordon, Beverly P.

¹Department of Human and Community Development, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Department of Psychology, Knox College
²Department of Human and Community Development, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
³College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, DeVry University

Beverly P. Gordon is now at the Department of Clinical and Counseling Psychology, School of Graduate Studies, Chestnut Hill College.

Data collection was supported by the L. J. Cartier Faculty Excellence Fund awarded to the first author by Knox College. An earlier version of this article was presented at the 2012 5^th Biennial Meeting of the On New Shores Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We thank the participants and cooperating cultural organizations and churches in Illinois and Pennsylvania. We also express gratitude to research assistants Kathryn Nembhard and Aparna Kumar.

Gail M. Ferguson, Department of Human and Community Development, Doris Kelley Christopher Hall, MC-081, 904 West Nevada Street, Room 2015, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801. [email protected]

Received September 6, 2013

Revision received April 28, 2014

Accepted May 1, 2014

International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, and Consultation 3(4):p 238-251, October 2014. | DOI: 10.1037/ipp0000019

This article replicates and extends understanding of tridimensional (3D) acculturation by investigating the ethnic identity and psychological functioning of tricultural Jamaican immigrant adults in the United States who juggle 3 cultural worlds in their daily lives (Jamaican, European American mainstream, and African American). Eighty middle-aged Jamaican immigrants (M_age = 50.5 years, 74% women) completed questionnaires reporting their acculturation, ethnic identity, life satisfaction, and psychological distress. Results replicated 3D acculturation, and triculturalism was prominent (nearly half of current sample). Ethnic identity search had stronger associations with acculturation and psychological functioning than did ethnic identity commitment. In addition, triculturals reported greater (though mild) psychological distress. Findings have both theoretical and clinical significance for Jamaican and other minority immigrants across nations who acculturate in 3D.