The relationships among immigration stress, Armenian ethnic identity, and posttraumatic growth
[Thesis]
Felicia I. Kademian
Bell, Terece
Alliant International University
2017
95
Committee members: Duran, Ron; Noviello, Nicholas
Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-1-369-43963-2
Ph.D.
Psychology
Alliant International University
2017
The study examined the constructs of immigration stress, Armenian ethnic identity, and posttraumatic growth among a sample of Armenians who immigrated to the U.S. between 1965 and 2010. The study assumed that immigration stress would influence posttraumatic growth, and that Armenian ethnic identity would moderate that relationship. Previous research suggests that immigration stress can have lasting psychological effects through experienced stressors such as trauma, persecution, and violence. Additionally, discrimination, prejudice, and hostility have been experienced by Armenians (among others) immigrating from the Middle East. Neither immigration stress nor its accompanying potential for growth has been examined previously in Armenian Americans. It was hypothesized that both immigration stress and Armenian ethnic identity would be related to posttraumatic growth (PTG) and the positive relationship between immigration stress and PTG would be weakened under conditions of high ethnic identity. The sample consisted of 75 generally well-educated (70% having a four-year college degree or higher) Armenian-Americans (58.7% female; M age = 45.52 years) who completed online versions of the Demands of Immigration Stress (DIS; Aroian, Norris, & Tran, 1998), the Armenian Ethnic Orientation Questionnaire - Revised (AEOQR; Der-Karabetian, Berberian, & Der-Boghossian, 2007), the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996), and a demographic questionnaire designed for this study. The majority of the sample was born within the Middle Eastern region, including Lebanon (38.7%), Syria (10.7%), Iraq (8.0%), and Iran (6.7%). The sample reported immigrating due to war or civil unrest (52%), seeking better opportunities (34.7%), family was already in the U.S. (16%), education (12%), and other reasons unspecified (14.7%). As hypothesized, results indicated a significant positive correlation between DIS and PTGI, r(69) = .27, p < .05. A non-significant correlation emerged between AEOQR and PTGI, r(69) = .17, p > .05. Ethnic identity did not significantly moderate the relationship between immigration stress and posttraumatic growth, β = -.02, R2 change = .0001, F(1,67) = .02, p > .05. Exploratory analysis found a significant correlation between AEOQR and DIS, r(72) = .41, p < .001. Qualitative data analysis is recommended to assess how Armenian-Americans have been able to cope with stressors.