Acculturation and Intergroup Relations: Chinese and Anglo-Australians in Australia

Acculturation refers to cultural change that occurs when members of differing groups come into contact with one another. Acculturation has been linked to several outcomes, including intergroup relations and well-being. This quantitative, cross-sectional research examined the impact of perceived discrepancies in acculturation orientations—intergroup, intragroup and intrapersonal—on intergroup relations, intragroup relations and well-being among a Chinese minority sample in Australia. Perceived acculturation discrepancies were shown to have significant associations with all three outcomes. However, this was most pronounced in the intergroup context, with intergroup relations being particularly susceptible to the negative impact of perceived acculturation discrepancies.