Acculturative stress is associated with reduced well-being among foreign-born multicultural adolescents in the context of global migration; however, the mechanisms linking acculturative stress to life satisfaction remain insufficiently specified. This study conceptualizes a dual-path adaptation model as a theoretical framework, examining the parallel mediating roles of social isolation and bicultural acceptance in adolescent adaptation within intercultural contexts. Data were drawn from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study, focusing on foreign-born middle school students. A parallel mediation model (PROCESS Model 4) with bootstrapping was used to estimate total, direct, and indirect effects. Acculturative stress had significant negative total and direct effects on life satisfaction, indicating a partial mediation structure. Higher acculturative stress was associated with increased social isolation, which reduced life satisfaction, and with decreased bicultural acceptance, which also reduced life satisfaction. Both indirect effects were statistically significant, and their difference was not significant, indicating comparable contributions of the two pathways. This study demonstrates that acculturative stress operates through a dual-path adaptation model in which relational and cultural processes jointly structure life satisfaction among multicultural adolescents in global migration contexts. These findings highlight the importance of addressing both social connectedness and bicultural acceptance in understanding adolescent adaptation in intercultural settings.

Authors:
Jaeeun Cha, Pusan ​​National University, South Korea
Jungsub Kim, Pusan ​​National University, South Korea

About the Presenter(s)
Jaeeun Cha is a graduate researcher in educational psychology focusing on self-efficacy, adaptation, and well-being in learning and digital environments, including AI and metaverse contexts, with applications to multicultural adolescents and schools.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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