Effects of Bicultural Identity Integration and National Identity on COVID-19-Related Anxiety Among Ethnic Minority College Students: The Mediation Role of Power Values

Yan Long; Fangying Quan; Yong Zheng

doi:10.2147/PRBM.S294547

Effects of Bicultural Identity Integration and National Identity on COVID-19-Related Anxiety Among Ethnic Minority College Students: The Mediation Role of Power Values

Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021 Feb 24:14:239-249. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S294547. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yan Long^{1

2}, Fangying Quan³, Yong Zheng⁴

Affiliations

¹ Center for Studies of Education and Psychology of Ethnic Minorities in Southwest China, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Student Affairs, Guilin Tourism University, Guilin, People's Republic of China.
³ Faculty of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, People's Republic of China.
⁴ Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.

Abstract

Purpose: The current study investigated the association between bicultural identity integration (BII, incorporating BII-harmony and BII-blendedness), national identity, and anxiety related to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among ethnic minority college students. In addition, this research examined the mediation role of power values in the relationship between BII, national identity, and COVID-19-related anxiety.

Methods: This cross-sectional research design made use of online surveys. Using convenience sampling, participants comprised 235 Chinese ethnic minority college students drawn from four colleges in the ethnic minority autonomous regions of China. Data were collected during June 2020. Participants mainly lived in ethnic minority communities or villages in southwest China before receiving higher education at urban campuses.

Results: Correlation analysis revealed that BII-harmony, BII-blendedness, and national identity were significantly negatively correlated with COVID-19-related anxiety. Mediation model analysis showed that power values were significantly positively correlated with COVID-19-related anxiety. Power values play a mediating role in the relationship between BII-harmony, national identity, and COVID-19-related anxiety, and have an inhibitory effect on this relationship.

Conclusion: Our ﬁndings indicate that BII-harmony and national identity could have the function of protecting ethnic minority college students from COVID-19-related anxiety. Emphasizing individualistic personal power values could increase COVID-19-related anxiety, whereas a collectivist identity reduces anxiety. These findings could provide another perspective on psychological interventions to reduce anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19-related anxiety; bicultural identity integration; ethnic minority college students; national identity; power values.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the MOE Project of Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at Universities (15JJDZONGHE022), the Research Subject of Philosophy and Social Science in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (18FSH006), and the Theoretical and Practical Research on Education of College Students in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (2018LSZ031), China.