Native and immigrant adolescents' satisfaction with host country: Effect of psychosocial variables related to intergroup contact

This cross-sectional exploratory study analysed the interrelations between group status, different psycho-social variables related to intergroup contact -attitudes toward other cultures, in-group bias, acculturation attitudes, and perceived enrichment of other cultures-and host satisfaction, in order to identify variables that improve the psychological adaptation and cooperation among adolescents with different cultural origin. Hypotheses were formulated from the analysis of Social Identity Theory and the conceptual frame of Acculturation. 315 adolescents from Ecuador, Morocco and Spain (mean age = 14.37 years, SD = 1.46) attending Spanish secondary schools answered a questionnaire. Parametric and nonparametric correlation analysis showed differences in the relationships between the psychosocial variables studied and cultural group. In fact, host country satisfaction was related to group status, to preference for integration attitude in the Spanish sample, and to attitudes toward dominant culture in the two immigrant samples. The findings raise the importance of interventions aimed at: promoting positive attitudes towards different cultural groups and cultural diversity, and facilitating contexts that encourage participation in practical aspects of the host country and positive contact with other cultures.