The integration puzzle: unravelling the connections between personality structure, acculturation dimensions, and life satisfaction of Pakistani immigrants in Belgium

This quantitative study examines the relationships among Big Five personality traits, the General Factor of Personality (GFP), behavioural cultural involvement (CI), cultural preference (CP), and life satisfaction among Pakistani immigrants in Belgium. As a culturally diverse country, where immigrants comprise over 17.6% of the population, Belgium provides an important context for exploring this understudied community. Data were collected via a structured survey from 212 adults. Multivariable regression and parallel mediation analyses (PROCESS) revealed that when evaluated simultaneously, only conscientiousness and openness positively correlate with CI. Importantly, CI served as an indirect pathway linking the higher-order GFP and specific personality traits to life satisfaction, whereas CP displayed no indirect relationship. Furthermore, while personality structures tracked closely with CI, CP was negatively associated with immigrants’ length of residence in Belgium rather than their personality traits. This illustrates the distinct ways that stable personality traits versus temporal environmental exposure relate to separate behavioural and attitudinal acculturation dimensions. The research also emphasises the need for qualitative and longitudinal approaches to further unpack these relationships.