ABSTRACT
This chapter centres on the psychological findings and illustrates how migrants’ personalities change along with their linguistic practices and cultural orientation. Analysing self-reported changes in personality was considered one of the most innovating slants of this study. The traits Flexibility and Emotional Stability were negatively related to the heritage dimension only. Regression models showed that migrants’ sense of belonging to the heritage culture constrained their flexibility and, together with higher levels of affective socialisation in the first language, also amplified their emotional stress. In contrast, the traits Cultural Empathy, Social Initiative, and Openmindedness were uniquely related to the host dimension. Regression models indicated that migrants’ sense of belonging to the host culture and perceived local language dominance increased their intercultural competences and unprejudiced attitude. Pairing these linguistic and cultural practices with a more frequent use of the local language to express emotions enhanced their social skills. Effects were small in size but highly significant, proving that socio-linguistic and acculturative practices are intense processes of transformation with the potential to reshape individuals’ self-concepts and behavioural patterns. In their responses, participants voiced a strong awareness of their personality changes following migration.
