Selective Cultural Adoption: The Roles of Warmth, Competence, Morality, and Perceived Indispensability in Majority-Group Acculturation

Abstract

Psychological research has only recently begun to consider the dynamics involved in the acculturation of majority groups. Recognizing heterogeneity among immigrant groups, the present work investigates the influence of perceived characteristics of these groups on majority-group members’ adoption of immigrant cultures. In three pre-registered studies–one correlational (N = 201) and two experimental (Ns = 144 and 146)–with within-subjects designs and close to politically representative samples from the U.K. and U.S., we show that majority-group members are more willing to adopt the culture of immigrants that are perceived as warm, competent, and moral because this makes these immigrants seem indispensable to the identity and economy of the mainstream society. Our studies highlight the importance of considering the differentiated acculturation that majority-group members have to various immigrant groups within the same national context. We delve into the societal and cultural repercussions arising from this selective uptake of other cultures.