A Theory and a Method for the Psychological Study of Assimilation

A theory of assimilation is presented which specifies the characteristic sequence of psycho? logical changes through which an immigrant may pass. It is asserted that a minimal level of satisfaction with his new life constitutes the necessary prerequsite for the development of an identification or feeling of attachment to the new community. In its turn, a minimal level of identification is the typical prerequisite for a high level of acculturation to occur, in which the immigrant actually becomes more like rel? evant members of the host group. Support for this theory has been obtained from studies em? ploying cumulative scaling methods and from the finding that predictable relationships exist between each level of assimilation and variables selected on the basis of the theory. Dr. Richardson's theory is a very valuable tool of socio-psychological analysis, almost an indispensable step to be taken before any study of structural assimilation and it shows the need of approaching the problems of immigrants from their individual perspective as well as from the perspective of the societies of de? parture and arrival.**