The complexity of individual and socio-cultural ecology : interaction of genes and attachments on intercultural experience

• Main Author: Phua, Yee Ling Desiree
• Other Authors: Michael J. Meaney
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Sociology
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/69057
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In this age of globalization, sojourning is becoming an increasingly common experience. This prospective study sought to examine the differential effects of maternal, paternal and cultural attachments on young adults’ (n = 305) ability to adapt to a foreign culture. 258 control participants were included to demonstrate the uniqueness of cross-cultural adaptations. In addition, this study also looked at whether one’s genetic predisposition moderated the relationship between attachments and intercultural adjustment. Current findings suggest paternal and cultural attachments were of particular importance. These effects were not present if participants were not in a foreign culture. Furthermore, overprotectiveness of fathers was especially important to how difficult sojourners perceived the cross-cultural experience to be, but it was the care dimension that predicted whether having a difficult experience led to lower self-esteem when sojourners returned home. Lastly, individual’s genetic predispositions did moderate the effect of attachments on how much difficulties individuals experienced overseas.