Building cosmopolitanism from a secure base: Lifetime spent in home country and cultural attachment moderate the link between multicultural experience and cosmopolitan orientation

Abstract Tackling global challenges such as climate change and pandemics requires fostering a cosmopolitan orientation, which facilitates international cooperation. We examined the conditions under which multicultural experience translates into cosmopolitan orientation, defined as the attitudinal and value orientations of individuals who see themselves as citizens of the world. Drawing on cultural attachment theory, we hypothesized that a secure bond with one's home culture is essential for this translation. Two cross‐sectional studies with American citizens tested whether indicators of such a bond moderate the relationship between multicultural experience and cosmopolitan orientation. Study 1 ( N = 317) examined lifetime residence as a potential proxy of such a bond, finding that the positive relationship was stronger among individuals who had spent a higher proportion of their lifetime in the home country. Study 2 ( N = 330) did not replicate this result but found that psychological attachment security to the home culture was a significant moderator, with the relationship significantly positive only at higher levels of attachment security. This inconsistency suggests that the role of lifetime residence in capturing a secure cultural bond may be more complex than initially theorized and warrants further investigation. These findings have implications for promoting cosmopolitan orientation and global cooperation.