SAMPLE:
181 MINORITY ADOLESCENTS
DATA:
METHOD:
EXPERIENCE SAMPLING, MIXED-EFFECTS MODELING
ROLE:
LEAD RESEARCHER
Emotional Fit Across Contexts
context.
People often feel like slightly different versions of themselves depending on where they are and who they are with. For minority youth, emotional expectations at home can differ markedly from those at school. This project examined how emotional alignment with the surrounding environment — referred to as emotional fit — shifts across daily contexts and how those shifts relate to daily well-being.
approach.
Over seven days, students completed a daily diary in which they reported the emotions they experienced and the context surrounding each moment - where they were (home or school), whom they interacted with, which language they spoke, and how they were feeling overall. Emotional fit was computed by comparing a student’s daily emotion ratings to the typical emotional patterns associated with each context, capturing how aligned they were with the environment around them. Using mixed-effects modeling, I analyzed within-person fluctuations in emotional fit to determine how much students' emotional alignment shifted as they moved between home and school and interacted with different people. I also tested whether higher emotional fit in a given context predicted greater same-day well-being, allowing us to see how context-sensitive emotional alignment shaped students' emotional health from moment to moment.
findings.
Emotional fit differed clearly between home and school.
Fit increased when students were interacting with culturally matched peers or languages.
Emotional fit predicted higher well-being in positive contexts and lower well-being in negative contexts.
impact.
This project showed that emotional fit shifts depending on the contexts we move through, underscoring how sensitive people are to the environments around them. More importantly, emotional fit was closely tied to well-being: the more aligned students felt with a given context, the better they felt emotionally. This highlights why creating safe and inclusive contexts is essential for supporting well-being. The insight applies to both schools and workplaces, where emotional norms can differ across classrooms, teams, settings, and power dynamics. Effective inclusion depends on shaping environments where emotional alignment fosters well-being, stronger belonging, and greater psychological safety — especially for those navigating multiple cultural expectations.
quote.
I feel different depending on where I am — more Belgian at school, more Rwandan or Chechen at home.
Student Participant
Reflecting on navigating multiple cultures
