INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 11 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 10:45 am - 12:00 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology \| Education/Training \| Professional Practice Issues Final Abstract #45 Emotion Regulation Strategy Utilization Among Highly Acculturated Bilingual Adolescents Andres Hernandez, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Robert Hickson, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Eva Müller-Oehring, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States Tilman Schulte, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Category: Cross Cultural Neuropsychology/ Clinical Cultural Neuroscience Keyword 1: bilingualism/multilingualism Keyword 2: acculturation Keyword 3: emotional processes Objective: The objective of this study is to identify whether bilingualism impacts emotion regulation (ER) strategy utilization (reappraisal and suppression) among highly acculturated youth. Acculturation and acculturative stress have been established as factors related to increased rates of psychopathology in immigrant populations, including children. Given research on the role of bilingualism on EF, it is possible that bilingualism may affect ER strategy utilization in adolescents. Our findings aim to provide insight into the effect of bilingualism on development of ER in highly acculturated youth. We hypothesized that bilinguals would exhibit greater utilization of ER strategies, measured by the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, compared to monolinguals. We also hypothesized that bilinguals would utilize more reappraisal strategies compared to suppression and that this relationship is moderated by level of acculturation. We aim to gain empirical knowledge on acculturation, bilingualism, their interaction, and the resulting psychological outcomes in adolescence. Participants and Methods: The sample consisted of 5,899and enrolled in the national study on adolescent brain cognitive development (ABCD). The 3-year follow-up time point was chosen given that the measures of interest were administered at that time point. Participants’ data with missing values were excluded from analysis. The assigned sex at birth was male in 3,087, female in 2,810, and intersex in 2 participants. The sample’s race and ethnicity distribution was 2,678 White, 715 Black, 1,658 Hispanic, 186 Asian, and 662 Other. t-test statistic was employed to assess differences in composite emotional regulation scores (sum scores of reappraisal and suppression) between monolingual and bilingual participants. In a next step, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) determined the viability of two latent variables of ER, reappraisal and suppression, among bilinguals and monolinguals. Finally, latent measurements of ER were regressed on an observed variable of level of acculturation among only bilingual participants. Results: t-test of differences in ER between bilinguals and monolinguals indicated a statistically significant group difference (p<.05), with a slightly greater average score for the monolingual group (mean=19.30; 95% CI=19.25–19.75) than the bilingual group (mean=19.55; 95% CI=19.50–19.99). The results of the CFA for ER suggested a good model fit (CFI=.964, TLI=.932, SRMR=.052, RMSEA=.083, chi-square<.001) with loadings ranging from .48 to .87. The structural regression model converged with adequate fit (CFI=.973, TLI=.953, SRMR=.038, RMSEA=.06 chi-square<.001). The structural regression revealed that ER suppression was negatively associated with higher levels of acculturation; yet, with a small effect size (β=-.078, p<.001), while ER reappraisal was positively associated with higher levels of acculturation; again, with a small effect size (β=.096, p<.001). Conclusions: Our findings support the hypothesis that bilingual adolescents utilize ER strategies more frequently than monolingual adolescents, the effect was small but significant. Additionally, we found that among bilinguals, a higher level of acculturation was positively associated with ER reappraisal and negatively associated with suppression. These findings provide evidence for the role of acculturation for the use of ER strategies among bilingual youth. Further research should investigate how acculturative stress impacts the development of ER strategies in bilingual populations. Funding: U01DA041022

Poster

02/17/2024
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology | Education/Training | Professional Practice Issues

Final Abstract #45

Emotion Regulation Strategy Utilization Among Highly Acculturated Bilingual Adolescents

Andres Hernandez, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Robert Hickson, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Eva Müller-Oehring, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
Tilman Schulte, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States

Category: Cross Cultural Neuropsychology/ Clinical Cultural Neuroscience

Keyword 1: bilingualism/multilingualism
Keyword 2: acculturation
Keyword 3: emotional processes

Objective:

The objective of this study is to identify whether bilingualism impacts emotion regulation (ER) strategy utilization (reappraisal and suppression) among highly acculturated youth. Acculturation and acculturative stress have been established as factors related to increased rates of psychopathology in immigrant populations, including children. Given research on the role of bilingualism on EF, it is possible that bilingualism may affect ER strategy utilization in adolescents. Our findings aim to provide insight into the effect of bilingualism on development of ER in highly acculturated youth. We hypothesized that bilinguals would exhibit greater utilization of ER strategies, measured by the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, compared to monolinguals. We also hypothesized that bilinguals would utilize more reappraisal strategies compared to suppression and that this relationship is moderated by level of acculturation. We aim to gain empirical knowledge on acculturation, bilingualism, their interaction, and the resulting psychological outcomes in adolescence.

Participants and Methods:

The sample consisted of 5,899and enrolled in the national study on adolescent brain cognitive development (ABCD). The 3-year follow-up time point was chosen given that the measures of interest were administered at that time point. Participants’ data with missing values were excluded from analysis. The assigned sex at birth was male in 3,087, female in 2,810, and intersex in 2 participants. The sample’s race and ethnicity distribution was 2,678 White, 715 Black, 1,658 Hispanic, 186 Asian, and 662 Other. t-test statistic was employed to assess differences in composite emotional regulation scores (sum scores of reappraisal and suppression) between monolingual and bilingual participants. In a next step, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) determined the viability of two latent variables of ER, reappraisal and suppression, among bilinguals and monolinguals. Finally, latent measurements of ER were regressed on an observed variable of level of acculturation among only bilingual participants.

Results:

t-test of differences in ER between bilinguals and monolinguals indicated a statistically significant group difference (p<.05), with a slightly greater average score for the monolingual group (mean=19.30; 95% CI=19.25–19.75) than the bilingual group (mean=19.55; 95% CI=19.50–19.99). The results of the CFA for ER suggested a good model fit (CFI=.964, TLI=.932, SRMR=.052, RMSEA=.083, chi-square<.001) with loadings ranging from .48 to .87. The structural regression model converged with adequate fit (CFI=.973, TLI=.953, SRMR=.038, RMSEA=.06 chi-square<.001). The structural regression revealed that ER suppression was negatively associated with higher levels of acculturation; yet, with a small effect size (β=-.078, p<.001), while ER reappraisal was positively associated with higher levels of acculturation; again, with a small effect size (β=.096, p<.001).

Conclusions:

Our findings support the hypothesis that bilingual adolescents utilize ER strategies more frequently than monolingual adolescents, the effect was small but significant. Additionally, we found that among bilinguals, a higher level of acculturation was positively associated with ER reappraisal and negatively associated with suppression. These findings provide evidence for the role of acculturation for the use of ER strategies among bilingual youth. Further research should investigate how acculturative stress impacts the development of ER strategies in bilingual populations.

Funding: U01DA041022