Ethnic identity, ego identity, and psychological well-being among mixed-ethnic Arab-European adolescents in Israel

Posted in Articles, Identity Development/Psychology, Media Archive on 2011-01-06 18:36Z by Steven

Ethnic identity, ego identity, and psychological well-being among mixed-ethnic Arab-European adolescents in Israel

British Journal of Developmental Psychology
Volume 24, Issue 4 (November 2006)
pages 669–679
DOI: 10.1348/026151005X59196

Hisham Motkal Abu-Rayya
The Unit of Psychology
Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland

This study explored the relationship between ethnic identity, ego identity, and psychological wellbeing among mixed-ethnic adolescents with European mothers and Arab fathers in Israel. One hundred and twenty-seven mixed-ethnic adolescents (13 to 18 years) were instructed to respond to a modified version of Phinney’s (1992) Multigroup ethnic identity measure (MEIM), to Bennion and Adams’ (1986) ego identity measure (EOM-EIS) and to Ryff’s (1999) psychological well-being scale. It was found that Arab and European ethnic identities, composed of ethnic behaviours, affirmation and belonging, and achievement of a sense of oneself as part of an ethnic group, were significantly positively correlated with participants’ psychological well-being. Findings revealed also that the ego identity statuses Achievement and Moratorium were associated with higher levels of psychological well-being, while the statuses Foreclosure and Diffusion were associated with lower levels of well-being. Arab and European ethnic identities and ego identity were found to be formed independently among the participants.

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