"If You are Moral and Competent, I Will Adopt Your Culture": The Mediating Role of Positive Emotions in the Acculturation Process of Ecuadorian Immigrants in Spain

The psychosocial processes involved in the acculturation preferences of immigrants are important to understand intercultural relationships in multicultural contexts. This work analyzes how three stereotype dimensions and positive emotions are related to the acculturation preferences of Ecuadorians living in Spain. A sample of 92 Ecuadorians (53.3% female; M-age = 31.58 years) answered to a questionnaire expressing how moral, sociable and competent they perceived Spanish people were, to what extent they felt positive emotions towards Spanish people, and their own acculturation preferences regarding maintenance of their original culture and adoption of the Spanish culture. Results show that the way Ecuadorians perceive Spanish people (especially regarding their morality and competence) predicts their preference for adopting Spanish customs through positive emotions.