NORMA eResearch @NCI Library

Relationship between Loneliness and Acculturation Strategies among Venezuelans Residing in Ireland

Montilla, Maria (2019) Relationship between Loneliness and Acculturation Strategies among Venezuelans Residing in Ireland. Undergraduate thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

[thumbnail of Bachelor of Arts]
Preview
PDF (Bachelor of Arts)
Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Migration refers to the process of leaving one’s country to live in another, and is motivated by factors such as search for better living conditions, educational/employment opportunities, safety and security. It is estimated that more than 200 million people worldwide currently live outside their birth country. From a psychological perspective, migration may lead to a loss of social relationships requiring migrants to adjust and adapt to a new environment and culture. Previous literature suggests that these experiences may induce feelings of loneliness. The current study aimed to investigate relationships between acculturation strategies, gender, length of residency in the host country and loneliness among a specific group of migrants: Venezuelans living in Ireland, as by 2017 their immigration has increased by 259%. A quantitative cross-sectional design was implemented. A convenience sample of 108 participants (66.7% female; mean age = 32.19 years) completed an online questionnaire which contained demographic items along with the ICESY Acculturation Scale and the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Results showed that marginalisation strategy had the lower mean (M= 10.72), and the proposed model explained 83.6% of variance in loneliness levels, where marginalisation was significantly correlated with loneliness (r = .91, p < .001); there was not found a difference between female and male loneliness scores (t (106) = - .817, p = .13), and length of residency did not predict better integration. Despite the limitations of female predominance, self-reporting measures and participants obtained via online, findings have important potential implications for understanding migration and experiences of loneliness.

Item Type: Thesis (Undergraduate)
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology
J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration > International Migration
Divisions: School of Business > BA (Honours) in Psychology
Depositing User: Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited: 04 Jun 2019 13:42
Last Modified: 04 Jun 2019 13:42
URI: https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/3810

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item