Wang et al (2010) carried out a study of 119 Cuban-American university students living in Miami. All of the students had at least one parent who had been born in Cuba. 80% of the sample was female. 23% of the students had been born outside of the US. Participants were recruited from an introductory psychology course and asked to fill in an online survey. All of the questions were presented in Likert-scale format.

The researchers wanted to test the relationship between the dimensions of acculturation and positive psychological functioning.

The dimensions were: relationship with Cuban culture, relationship with US culture, and ethnic identification. Positive psychological functioning was measured by levels of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem.

The researchers found that biculturalism was linked with more favorable outcomes (e.g., higher self-esteem, lower depression, and lower anxiety).

Wang et al. showed that international students who balanced their heritage cultural identity and engaged with the host culture tended to show better psychological adjustment and lower stress, illustrating bicultural competence — a positive outcome of acculturation.