title: Low ethnic identity exploration undermines positive interethnic relations: A study among Turkish immigrant-origin youth.
abstract: This longitudinal study investigates whether immigrant-origin youths' ethnic identity exploration moderates the link between ethnic identity commitment and positive interethnic relations, operationalized as cross-ethnic friendships.
  
  
  
  Turkish-German 4th graders (9-12 years old, n = 73) and 7th graders (13-15 years old, n = 67) reported on their cross-ethnic friendships at Time 1 and approximately 10 months later at Time 2. Commitment and exploration were measured at Time 1 with age appropriate versions of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure.
  
  
  
  About 40% of the children's friendships were cross-ethnic and the amount of cross-ethnic friendships did not change from Time 1 to Time 2. Ethnic identity commitment and exploration were unrelated to cross-ethnic friendships in both age groups. Yet, among the 7th graders, exploration moderated the link between commitment and cross-ethnic friendships: when exploration was low, a higher level of commitment was associated with fewer cross-ethnic friendships. These associations were not significant among 4th-grade children.
  
  
  
  We conclude that by the age of 13 years, ethnic identity exploration can improve interethnic relations. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, Ruhr- University Bochum.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Spiegler
authors.affiliation: Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University.
authors.forename: Maykel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verkuyten
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, Ruhr- University Bochum.
authors.forename: Jochem
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thijs
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leyendecker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005858:Germany / Q000208:ethnology; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012933:Social Identification; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology