Identity Construal Processes In a Multicultural Context: The Role of Migration Status and Personality Factors

With a foreign population percentage of 47%, Luxembourg is one of the most diverse countries in Europe. The aim of the current study was to gain a better understanding of the factors influencing the national identity construal processes within such a multicultural environment. We investigated differences in identification with the host country among several immigrant groups living in Luxembourg, focusing on individual difference variables and demographic characteristics that affect identification patterns. Another aim of this study was to assess the importance of superordinate identification within this multicultural context. Identity and personality questionnaires were administered online to a sample of young adults (N = 159) from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Participants were first and second-generation immigrants, and offspring of mixed couples with only one migrant parent. The findings suggest a link between generation status and the salience of national identification. Between group comparisons revealed that Luxembourgish identity was less strongly endorsed by first generation immigrants. All immigrant groups strongly identified with a superordinate, cosmopolitan identity (M = 4.07, SD = .46) but second-generation immigrants scored significantly higher on this scale. National and cosmopolitan identity correlated positively only in the case of first-generation immigrants. In regression analyses, personal need for structure predicted national identity commitment but was not related to national identity exploration. Self-efficacy perceptions positively predicted cosmopolitan identification and personal need for structure did so negatively. We conclude that dispositional variables and migration status are important predictors of identification patterns, and the multicultural context is conducive to superordinate identification.