Despite evidence that acculturation hassles (such as discrimination and language hassles) relate to poorer adjustment for adolescents of immigrant descent, we know less about the psychological processes underlying these associations. In this study, we test whether reduced psychological needs satisfaction in terms of a lower sense of belonging, autonomy, and competence, mediates the associations of acculturation hassles with psychological distress and academic adjustment. Our sample included 439 seventh graders from 15 schools in Germany (51% female, M_age = 12.4 years, SD = .73). Results revealed that adolescents who experienced greater discrimination and language hassles showed a lower sense of belonging with classmates and subsequently, greater psychological distress. Those who experienced greater language hassles also exhibited a lower sense of perceived competence, and ultimately poorer academic adjustment. We conclude that self-determination theory (SDT) provides an important framework to explain key processes underlying the links between acculturation hassles with psychological distress and academic (mal-)adjustment. Strengthening belonging and competence among adolescents of immigrant descent may enhance their well-being in the face of acculturation hassles.

中文翻译：

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移民后裔青少年的适应障碍和适应：用自决理论方法测试调解

尽管有证据表明适应障碍（例如歧视和语言障碍）与移民后裔青少年的适应能力较差有关，但我们对这些关联背后的心理过程知之甚少。在这项研究中，我们测试了在较低的归属感、自主性和能力方面降低的心理需求满意度是否介导了文化适应障碍与心理困扰和学业调整之间的关联。我们的样本包括来自德国 15 所学校的 439 名七年级学生（51% 女性，M_年龄= 12.4 岁，SD= .73）。结果显示，遭受更大歧视和语言障碍的青少年表现出与同学的归属感较低，随后出现更大的心理困扰。那些经历过更多语言麻烦的人也表现出较低的能力感，最终导致学术适应能力较差。我们得出结论，自我决定理论（SDT）提供了一个重要的框架来解释文化适应障碍与心理困扰和学业（错误）调整之间的联系背后的关键过程。加强移民后裔青少年的归属感和能力可能会提高他们在面对文化适应问题时的幸福感。