adaptation
Definition
Adaptation refers to the outcomes experienced by individuals and groups following acculturation, encompassing psychological wellbeing, sociocultural competence in daily living, and positive intercultural relations with members of all groups in contact. It is distinguished from acculturation as a process: whereas the process involves behavioural changes, strategy use, and coping with stresses encountered in the acculturation arena, adaptation designates what is achieved as a result of those processes. Discrimination, both historical and current, is identified as a strong predictor of poor psychological, sociocultural, and intercultural adaptation outcomes. The integration strategy, involving simultaneous engagement with both heritage culture and the larger society, is consistently associated with better adaptation than assimilation, separation, or marginalisation across a wide range of methodologies and cultural contexts.
Sources: Berry (2025)
Related Terms
- acculturation (1 shared article)
- integration (1 shared article)
- commentary (1 shared article)
- immigration (1 shared article)
Applications
Adaptation and Acculturation Strategies
Acculturation strategies structure the comparative framework within which adaptation outcomes are evaluated. The integration hypothesis holds that individuals who engage actively with both their heritage culture and the larger society report better adaptation than those following assimilation, separation, or marginalisation strategies, a pattern documented across typological splits, latent profile models, and qualitative interviews. Methods that directly contrast strategies as categorical groupings, rather than relying on continuous statistical interaction terms, are better suited to testing this comparative claim.
Sources: Berry (2025)
Adaptation and Discrimination
Discrimination functions as one of the strongest documented predictors of adaptation outcomes. Both historically experienced and present-day discrimination are linked to poorer psychological, sociocultural, and intercultural adaptation among individuals undergoing acculturation.
Sources: Berry (2025)
