Graduate Program in Psychology.Soley, Gaye.Kurupınar, Mahmut.2025-04-142025-04-142023Graduate Program in Psychology. TKL 2023 U68 PhD (Thes TR 2023 L43https://digitalarchive.library.bogazici.edu.tr/handle/123456789/21718National identity has various components such as ethnic, civic, or cultural, and these are prioritized differently in different contexts. This dimensional perception of national identity has social implications regarding attitudes toward minorities or expectations from immigrants. The current study investigated the developmental course of this dimensional understanding and its relationship with children's expectations regarding the assimilation of immigrants among children in Turkey. Six-to- eight- and 9-to-11-years-old children (N = 83) were introduced two novel national groups and targets who are associated with two features implying membership in different national groups. Children were then asked which nation the target would belong to. Children were also presented with an immigration scene and asked whether the national identity and different features related to it would change after immigration. Overall, children prioritized the ethnic dimension of national identity over civic, cultural, and affective dimensions, and they prioritized the civic dimension over cultural and affective dimensions. Prioritization of ethnic over civic cues became stronger with age, but other contrasts were similar across age groups. Regarding assimilation expectations, children expected immigrants to follow the destination country’s rules but expected them to keep the religion of the first country. Moreover, diversity exposure mostly predicted higher assimilation expectations, while prioritizing ethnic cues over civic ones predicted lower assimilation expectations. Finally, children expected national identity not to change after immigration, and this expectation increased as children prioritized ethnic cues over civic cues. These findings contribute to our knowledge about the developmental process of national identity and children’s perception of immigration.National characteristics.xi, 95 leaves