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New approaches to the ‘crucial’ test of the causation and selection hypotheses in a Northern Irish sample
Author(s) -
Mallett J.,
Cairns ED.,
Bunting B.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of community and applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.042
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1099-1298
pISSN - 1052-9284
DOI - 10.1002/casp.659
Subject(s) - operationalization , causation , psychology , ethnic group , social psychology , irish , test (biology) , sample (material) , context (archaeology) , sociology , political science , geography , law , anthropology , epistemology , paleontology , philosophy , linguistics , chemistry , archaeology , chromatography , biology
This paper examines the relationship between minority/majority status and psychological adjustment, as measured by the GHQ‐12. Rather than using religious labels in Northern Ireland to define minority/majority status, the authors hypothesized that such status is more contingent upon the local area context. Using a purer operationalization of minority/majority status, the authors found no evidence of an ‘ethnic density effect’. Implications for the questionable validity of the ‘crucial test’ of the selection and causation hypotheses are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.