Integration Hypothesis Research Articles

Determinants of Psychological Adaptation Among Brazilian International Students in Portugal

ABSTRACT This research aimed to detect the determinants of psychological adaptation (in terms of satisfaction with life and loneliness) among Brazilian international students living in Portugal. We used a sample of 174 Brazilian international students. The integration and contact hypotheses were supported. Academic achievement and social support scores were significantly and positively associated with psychological adaptation. Acculturation factors accounted for a larger proportion of the explained variance in satisfaction with life and loneliness than socio-demographic characteristics. In addition, sociocultural adaptation difficulty mediated the relationships of perceived discrimination and both indicators of psychological adaptation. Suggestions for future investigation are highlighted.

MicrobiomeKG: Bridging Microbiome Research and Host Health Through Knowledge Graphs.

The microbiome represents a complex community of trillions of microorganisms residing in various body parts, and plays critical roles in maintaining host health and well-being. Understanding the interactions between microbiota and host offers valuable insights into potential strategies to promote health, including microbiome-targeted interventions. We have created MicrobiomeKG, a Knowledge Graph for microbiome research, bridging various taxa and microbial pathways with host health. This novel knowledge graph derives algorithmically-generated knowledge assertions from the supplemental tables supporting published microbiome papers, and is deployed for integrative analysis and hypothesis generation via the Biomedical Data Translator ecosystem.

Intercultural relations among Filipino immigrants living in Macau

As society becomes increasingly diverse over time, the interaction among different cultural groups is an essential topic in intercultural research. Berry (2017) proposed three hypotheses of intercultural relations: multiculturalism, contact, and integration, in trying to answer the question, “How shall we all live together?”. Since most studies on intercultural relations are conducted in the context of Western culture, less empirical evidence about the three hypotheses examination is drawn from the plural societies other than Western ones. Therefore, this study evaluates three hypotheses on intercultural relations with regards to Filipino immigrants in Macau, and expects to provide new empirical research support for testing relevant hypotheses on intercultural relations and enrich the existing literature. A total of 233 community samples (58.5 % females; Mage= 28.24) were recruited and employed scales from the MIRIPS questionnaire to collect data on co-ethnic contact, host contact, perceived discrimination, acculturation strategies, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Path analysis revealed that: (1) With respect to the multicultural hypothesis, perceived discrimination was positively related with integration and separation; (2) With respect to the contact hypothesis, co-ethnic contact was positively related with perceived discrimination; co-ethnic contact was positively related with integration and separation, and host contact was positively related with assimilation; (3) With respect to the integration hypothesis, integration was the most preferred strategy for the participants and was associated with better psychological adaptation (termed self-esteem and life satisfaction). These findings partially support the validity of the hypotheses. Finally, future research directions and empirical implications are discussed.

Acculturation and adjustment among international college students: The moderating role of perceived second language proficiency

Objectives: This study was aimed at examining the relationship between acculturation strategies and both psychological and socio-cultural adjustment, while concurrently assessing the moderating role of perceived second language proficiency. The premise was that proficiency in the host country’s language could potentially facilitate successful acculturative outcomes. Method: We used self-report measures to collect data on a sample of 237 international students in Los Angeles. A General Linear Model was applied for data analyses. Results: Overall, integration emerged as the most adaptive acculturation strategy, whereas marginalization was identified as the least adaptive. Noteworthy, moderating effects were observed in the relationships between marginalization and life satisfaction, integration and socio-cultural adjustment, assimilation and psychological problems, as well as socio-cultural adjustment. Conclusions: Our findings lend support to the Integration Hypothesis, highlighting that adopting integration is associated with superior adaptive outcomes, also pointing out that the pattern of associations between acculturation strategies and both psychological and socio-cultural adjustment could fluctuate depending on the level of perceived second language proficiency.

Exploring Biopsychosocial Stress Markers in Women With Fibromyalgia

Identification of fibromyalgia has been a challenge for healthcare professionals due to the lack of a clinical biomarker. A well-supported integrative hypothesis holds that this condition is a chronic pain problem partly caused by long-term dysregulation of stress response. Therefore, stress assessment from a biopsychosocial perspective may be a useful approach to recognizing fibromyalgia. A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted to explore stress markers from a multidimensional perspective, including heart rate variability (as a biomarker of stress) as well as psychological distress and social stress. Forty-seven women with fibromyalgia were recruited from support groups and another 47 were recruited as matched pain-free controls. Comparison and discriminant function analyses were performed. The data support the goodness of biopsychosocial stress markers in women with fibromyalgia, resulting in the identification of between 70% and 74.5% of fibromyalgia cases (sensitivity) and 85%-87% pain-free controls (specificity), with medium-high levels of fit (λ = 0.58 and λ = 0.59; p < .00). Women with fibromyalgia were characterized by high levels of psychological distress, social stress (disorder levels), and autonomic dysregulation. Although distress and social stress had a greater weight in discriminant functions, dysregulation in terms of low parasympathetic activity and high sympathetic activity at rest was also relevant. A biopsychosocial approach to stress with an objective biomarker such as heart rate variability may be a useful tool to identify and manage FM.

Integrative function of proprioceptive system in the acute effects of whole body vibration on the movement performance in young adults.

The proprioceptive system coordinates locomotion, but its role in short-term integration and recovery of motor activity in imbalance of motor patterns and body remains debated. The aim of this study is investigating the functional role of proprioceptive system in motor patterns and body balance in healthy young adults. 70 participants (aged 20.1 ± 0.3) were divided into experimental groups EG1 (n = 30), EG2 (n = 30), control group (CG, n = 10). EG1 performed single WBV session on Power Plate (7 exercises adapted to Functional Movement Screen (FMS). EG2 performed single session of FMS Exercises (FMSE). CG didn't perform any physical activity. All participants performed pre- and post-session of FMS and stabilometric measurements. FMS total score in EG1 increased by 2.0 ± 0.2 (p0 < 0.001), this was significantly differed (p0 < 0.001) from EG2 and CG. Acute effects of WBV and FMSE on rate of change and standard deviation (SD) of pressure center (COP) were shown in all groups during Static Test (p0 < 0.01). SD increased (p0 < 0.01) in Given Setting Test in EG1 and EG2, and in Romberg Test (p0 < 0.001) in EG1. Length, width and area (p0 < 0.01) of confidence ellipse, containing 95% of the statokinesiogram points, decreased in Static Test in EG1; width and area (p0 < 0.01) decreased in EG2 group. Significant (p0 < 0.01) decrease in Given Setting Test was in EG1, and significant (p0 < 0.01) increase was in Romberg Test (open eyes) in CG. Maximum amplitude of COP oscillations: significantly (p0 < 0.01) decreasing along X and Y axes in EG1 and EG2, and along Y axis in CG during Static Test; along Y axis (p0 < 0.01) in all groups during Given Setting Test. Significant differences were identified (p0 < 0.01) in calculated energy consumption for COP moving during all stabilometric tests. However, inter-group differences in COP after acute WBV and FMSE sessions have not been identified. Acute WBV session eliminates the deficits in motor patterns which is not the case after acute FMSE session, which, according to our integrative movement tuning hypothesis, is due to high activation of integrative function of proprioceptive system. Efficacy of WBV and FMSE on COP performance indicates a high sensitivity of postural control to different levels of proprioceptive system activity.

회귀나무 분석을 이용한 외국인비율, 집단위협인식, 집합효율성 관계에 관한 탐색적 연구

In order to empirically verify the integrative hypothesis of the Social Integration Model-Group Threat Theory, this paper examines the relationship between the proportion of foreigners in residential areas and Koreans' perception of group threat and collective efficiency. This analysis is conducted at the exploratory level using regression tree analysis. The case of 800 Korean residents was utilized as secondary data in the “Research on Measures for Strengthening the Efficacy of Criminal Policy for Guaranteeing Public Safety (IV): A Study on the Safety Condition and Policy Issues in Foreign Population Concentrated Areas” conducted by the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice. As a result of the main analysis, it was found that the integrated hypothesis of the Social Integration Model-Group Threat Theory, which has been discussed in Western society, was partially supported. However, the factor of perceived group threat had a significant effect only in multi-ethnic communities with more than 50% of foreigners in predicting collective efficiency. Through the derived results, the study suggests the necessity of implementing a control policy to mitigate the spread of anti-multicultural emotions resulting from the increasing ethnic diversity. Finally, the study also presents its limitations.

Presence of viral spike protein and vaccinal spike protein in the blood serum of patients with long-COVID syndrome.

COVID-19 patients experience, in 10-20% of the cases, a prolonged long-COVID syndrome, defined as the persistence of symptoms for at least two months after the infection. The underlying biological mechanisms of this syndrome remain poorly understood. Several hypotheses have been proposed, among which are the potential autoimmunity resulting from molecular mimicry between viral spike protein and human proteins, the reservoir and viral reproduction hypothesis, and the viral integration hypothesis. Although official data state that vaccinal spike protein is harmless and remains at the site of infection, several studies proposed spike protein toxicity and found it in blood circulation several months after the vaccination. To search for the presence of viral and vaccine spike protein in a cohort of long-COVID patients. In this study, we employed a proteomic-based approach utilizing mass spectrometry to analyze the serum of 81 patients with long-COVID syndrome. Moreover, viral integration in patients' leukocytes was assessed with a preliminary study, without further investigation. We identified the presence of the viral spike protein in one patient after infection clearance and negativity of COVID-19 test and the vaccine spike protein in two patients two months after the vaccination. This study, in agreement with other published investigations, demonstrates that both natural and vaccine spike protein may still be present in long-COVID patients, thus supporting the existence of a possible mechanism that causes the persistence of spike protein in the human body for much longer than predicted by early studies. According to these results, all patients with long-COVID syndrome should be analyzed for the presence of vaccinal and viral spike protein.

What Comes First, Acculturation or Adjustment? A Longitudinal Investigation of Integration Versus Mental Resources Hypotheses.

A focal point in the acculturation literature is the so-called "integration hypothesis," whereby integration (high mainstream cultural engagement and heritage cultural maintenance) is associated with higher psychosocial adjustment, compared to other strategies. Yet, the vast majority of this literature is cross-sectional, raising questions about how best to understand associations between integration and adjustment. Does greater integration lead to greater psychosocial adjustment, as proposed by the integration hypothesis? Or is it the other way around, with more adjustment leading to greater integration, consistent with what we name the "mental resources hypothesis?" This study tests these 2 competing hypotheses in a 4-wave longitudinal study of 278 international students in their first weeks and months in Canada. The results replicate well-documented cross-sectional acculturation-adjustment associations. They also show that baseline adjustment is prospectively associated with later integration and mainstream acculturation, but not vice versa, supporting the mental resources hypothesis but not the integration hypothesis.

Integration of motion information in illusory motion perceived in stationary patterns

Illusory motion is a phenomenon in which stationary images with repeating luminance gradient patterns appear to be moving. In this study, we conducted experiments focusing on illusory motion to verify the hypothetical rule that velocity information, extracted from local luminance patterns, is integrated by summation in visual information processing. This rule is based on the hypothesis of velocity integration, and could estimate perceived velocity of stimulus. The summation rule was evaluated by a psychophysical experiment. Our results showed that the summation rule unbiasedly predicted perceived velocity, suggesting that an algorithm for integrating velocity information in illusory motion is based on the summation rule. These results would contribute to understanding of the spatial integration of local motion signals in visual information processing.

Visual–vestibular sensory integration during congruent and incongruent self-rotation percepts using caloric vestibular stimulation

Introduction: The present study sets out to determine which sensory system mostly influences self-motion perception when visual and vestibular cues are in conflict. We paired caloric vestibular stimulation that signaled motion in either the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction with a visual display that indicated self-rotation in either the same or opposite directions.Methods: In Experiment 1 (E1), caloric vestibular stimulation was used to produce vestibular circular vection. In Experiment 2 (E2), a virtual optokinetic drum was used to produce visual circular vection in a VR headset. Vection speed, direction, and duration were recorded using a potentiometer knob the participant controlled in E1 and E2. In Experiment 3 (E3), visual and vestibular stimuli were matched to be at approximately equal speeds across visual and vestibular modalities for each participant setting up Experiment 4 (E4). In E4, participants observed a moving visual pattern in a virtual reality (VR) headset while receiving caloric vestibular stimulation. Participants rotated the potentiometer knob while attending to visual–vestibular stimuli presentations to indicate their perceived circular vection. E4 had two conditions: 1) A congruent condition where calorics and visual display indicated circular vection in the same direction; 2) an incongruent condition where calorics and visual display indicated circular vection in opposite directions.Results and discussion: There were equal reports of knob rotation in the direction consistent with the visual and vestibular self-rotation direction in the incongruent condition of E4 across trials. There were no significant differences in knob rotation speed and duration in both conditions. These results demonstrate that the brain appears to weigh visual and vestibular cues equally during a visual–vestibular conflict of approximately equal speeds. These results are most consistent with the optimal cue integration hypothesis.

Семейный случай наследуемой хромосомной интеграции ВГЧ-6А с проведением филогенетического анализа

The paper reports a familial case of HHV-6A chromosomal integration being an important and relevant issue of genetics and medicine. The study was aimed to test the hypothesis of HHV-6A chromosomal integration and vertical transmission in patient with persistent virus detection during recurrent respiratory diseases and the asymptomatic period when there were no health complaints. Sequencing of the patient’s father genome DNA was performed, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed by aligning 270 HHV-6A/B genome assemblies from the GenBank database. As a result, a familial case of ciHHV-6A transmission was identified. It was found that the detected ciHHV-6A observed on the phylogenetic tree was closely related to other two chromosomally integrated HHV-6A sequences reported by Moscow researchers. The study confirmed HHV-6A chromosomal integration. Further precise chromosome mapping of ciHHV-6A would be useful in terms of excluding probable somatic disorders associated with the chromosome structure alteration following HHV-6, particularly HHV-6A, integration, as well as for identification of insertion sites specific for various geographic locations.

The integration hypothesis: A critical evaluation informed by multilevel meta-analyses of three multinational datasets

The integration hypothesis is the proposal that individuals who engage in both their heritage culture and in the larger society (by using the integration strategy) have better psychological adaptation than those using other strategies (by engaging with only one or neither cultural framework). This hypothesis has received substantial support over the years, but it has been recently contested by Bierwiaczonek and Kunst (2021). In their paper, which contributed new meta-analytic evidence, including some based on longitudinal studies, they argue that there is limited support for the role of acculturation strategies in adaptation and that contextual factors are more important than acculturation strategies for adaptation. Our paper shows that their correlational meta-analysis underestimates the integration-adaptation effect size, and that findings from the longitudinal meta-analysis do not appropriately support their claim. We present empirical findings in support of the integration hypothesis, particularly for positive indicators of adaptation (e.g., life satisfaction, self-esteem), and examine additional moderators using multilevel analyses of three multinational datasets: Nguyen and Benet-Martínez’s (2013) meta-analytic data, the MIRIPS dataset (Berry et al., 2022), and the ICSEY dataset (Berry et al., 2006). As a result, our study represents the largest test of the integration hypothesis to date. We complement these findings with theoretical work, relevant evidence from qualitative studies, and other meta-analyses and narrative reviews.

An Integrative Hypothesis of Brain Evolution.

The purpose of this article is to reconcile the hypotheses that: (1) brain evolution occurred due to a change in diet, and (2) it occurred due to pressures related to understanding more and more about the underlying causes, such as understanding increasingly complex manipulative and cooperative intentions on the part of the other, as well as understanding reality itself (and how to interact with it beyond group issues). I argue that the ingestion of fat, a highly energy-efficient food, would have unlocked the evolutionary process that culminated in the emergence of the practice of reasoning about underlying causes; and that the consolidation of such a practice resulted in a continuous pressure to increase cognition about "whys"; so that many explanations ended up imposing the need for additional ones, and with that came a high level of awareness and the need for the brain to evolve not only in terms of providing a higher level of cognition but also in size.

The integration hypothesis and positive mental health outcomes for children and young asylum-seekers in Iceland

The current global situation affects millions of people forced to flee their homes in search of safety and protection. Child and youth forced migrants are often exposed to stressful life events before arrival in the country of resettlement and suffer more mental health problems than other migrants. For this population, finding the balance between maintaining their heritage culture while interacting with the larger new society is related to better mental health, a phenomenon referred to as the integration hypothesis. The present study sought to address gaps in the literature by examining the integration hypothesis among children and youth who sought asylum in Iceland. The study examined the acculturation strategy preferences of participants and their relationship to mental health outcomes. Participants were 75 individuals, ages 13–24, who arrived in Iceland between 2016 and 2020. Part of the data was collected via face-to-face interviews, while mental health measures were administered. Participants who preferred integration showed the best mental health outcomes, while those who chose marginalization had poorer mental health. Study results support the integration hypothesis in Iceland and underline the importance of helping immigrant children and youth recognize the value of maintaining their heritage culture while interacting with the larger society.

Make your mouth agua: idioms and the integrated hypothesis

Recent work argues that a bilingual linguistic system is fully integrated in one competence system and does not consist of two separate, autonomous systems as is commonly assumed (see Goldrick et al 2016, Grimstad et al 2014, López 2020, Riksam 2017). Here, we explore the organization of the lexicon within the integration hypothesis using data based on idioms and code-switching. The working hypothesis is that if the lexicons of a bilingual person are integrated in the sort of grammatical architecture presented in López (2020), one should be able to code-switch within the idiom and retain the idiomatic meaning. After a pilot study with a community of Papiamentu-Dutch bilinguals, we tested this hypothesis with two communities of bilingual code-switchers: Basque-Spanish, English-Spanish. The task consisted of choosing a meaning out of three choices for a range of sentences, some of which included code-switched idioms. Our results, by-and-large, confirm the hypothesis that code-switching does not destroy the integrity of the idiom.

Evaluating the integration hypothesis: A meta-analysis of the ICSEY project data using two new methods.

The Integration Hypothesis states that acculturating migrants who adopt the integration strategy (i.e. being doubly engaged, in both their heritage culture and in the larger national society) will have better psychological and socio-cultural adaptation than those who adopt any other strategy (Assimilation, Separation or Marginalization). This hypothesis was supported in the original evaluation of the ICSEY project data, using the mean adaptation scores for individuals in the four acculturation clusters. This conclusion was further supported by an analysis that used scores that were derived from the two underlying dimensions. This paper further evaluates this hypothesis meta-analytically using two new methods: Cultural Involvement and Cultural Preference; and Euclidean Distance. The results showed that these two methods provided support for the integration hypothesis, for both psychological adaptation and socio-cultural adaptation. The pattern of relationships was stronger for positive than for negative indicators of adaptation. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

The integration of the small‐island effect and nestedness pattern

AbstractAimThe small‐island effect (SIE) and nestedness are two important patterns in the fields of island biogeography and community ecology. However, to date, no study has tried to integrate the SIE and nestedness pattern. Therefore, the aim of this study was to integrate these two biogeographical patterns by proposing a new integrative hypothesis. The integrative hypothesis posits that the degree of nestedness of the large island matrix will be larger than that of the small island matrix split by the threshold of the SIE.LocationGlobal.TaxonPlants, invertebrates and vertebrates.MethodsWe compiled 219 global datasets with both the presence‐absence matrices and the variables of area and species richness. We also collected six island characteristics influencing the SIE and nestedness patterns, that is island type, taxonomic group, area range, the number of islands, species range and matrix fill. We applied breakpoint regressions to detect SIEs and used the metric NODF (Nestedness metric based on Overlap and Decreasing Fill) to quantify nestedness. We then employed logistic regressions and an information‐theoretic approach to determine which combination of island characteristics was important in determining whether the integrative hypothesis was supported.ResultsAmong the 92 datasets in which SIEs were unambiguously detected, nestedness analyses showed that in 64 cases (69.6%) the values of NODFc (nestedness among sites) for the large island matrices were larger than those of the small island matrices. Matrix fill and area range were substantially important in determining whether the integrative hypothesis was supported. By contrast, island type, taxonomic group, the number of islands and species range received considerably less support.Main ConclusionsOur study was the first to integrate the SIE and nestedness pattern. Overall, we found prevalent support for our integrative hypothesis. The integration of the SIE and nestedness provides new and interesting insights into these two biogeographical patterns.

Acculturation attitudes and adaptation among South Korean residents in Japan: The mediating role of coping strategies

Acculturation processes and intergroup experiences of minority groups have been little studied in East Asian societies, including Japan. The number of migrants in Japanese society is steadily increasing, suggesting that the country is a new immigration destination in the 21st century. Therefore, further research on the acculturation processes of immigrants in Japan is warranted. This study examined the relationships among acculturation attitudes, coping strategies, and psychological adjustment in a sample of South Korean newcomers living in Japan. The results of this study support the integration hypothesis, which states that balanced acculturation attitudes that favor engagement in both the host and home cultures lead to higher levels of psychological and sociocultural adaptation. Assimilation attitudes did not contribute significantly to adaptation. Different coping strategies employed by individuals during interethnic discrimination mediated the links between individual acculturation attitudes and the two aspects of adaptation. By linking acculturation attitudes and relevant social behaviors, this study sheds light on the role of coping strategies as mediators of the relationships between acculturation attitudes and psychological and sociocultural adjustment in ethnic minority groups.

Caloric vestibular stimulation induces vestibular circular vection even with a conflicting visual display presented in a virtual reality headset.

This study explored visual-vestibular sensory integration when the vestibular system receives self-motion information using caloric irrigation. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine if measurable vestibular circular vection can be induced in healthy participants using caloric vestibular stimulation and (2) determine if a conflicting visual display could impact vestibular vection. In Experiment 1 (E1), participants had their eyes closed. Air caloric vestibular stimulation cooled the endolymph fluid of the horizontal semi-circular canal inducing vestibular circular vection. Participants reported vestibular circular vection with a potentiometer knob that measured circular vection direction, speed, and duration. In Experiment 2 (E2), participants viewed a stationary display in a virtual reality headset that did not signal self-motion while receiving caloric vestibular stimulation. This produced a visual-vestibular conflict. Participants indicated clockwise vection in the left ear and counter-clockwise vection in right ear in a significant proportion of trials in E1 and E2. Vection was significantly slower and shorter in E2 compared to E1. E2 results demonstrated that during visual-vestibular conflict, visual and vestibular cues are used to determine self-motion rather than one system overriding the other. These results are consistent with optimal cue integration hypothesis.