Curiosity and Autonomy as Factors That Promote Personal Growth in the Cross-cultural Transition Process of International Students

Authors

  • Elif Merve Cankaya Texas A&M University, United States
  • Jeffrey Liew Texas A&M University, United States
  • Clarissa Pinto Pizarro de Freitas Salgado de Oliveira University, Brazil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v8i4.225

Keywords:

autonomy, curiousity, international students, personal growth initiative, positive psychology

Abstract

This study explores measures of curiosity and autonomy as two motivation and personality predictors of personal growth initiative (PGI), an indicator of cross-cultural adjustment. The sample comprised 221 international graduate students. Structural equation modeling was utilized to identify the relations among self-perceived language skills, curiosity, autonomy, and PGI. The results indicate that perceived language skills and autonomy promote curiosity, which in turn facilitates PGI. Implications are suggested to facilitate the adaptation of international students.

Author Biographies

  • Elif Merve Cankaya, Texas A&M University, United States

    ELIF MERVE CANKAYA, PhD, is a visiting postdoctoral research associate in the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement at Ohio State University. Her research interests include positive psychology, and students’ academic and healthy functioning. 

  • Jeffrey Liew, Texas A&M University, United States

    JEFFREY LIEW, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology with courtesy appointment in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University. Dr. Liew's research area includes human development, particularly emotion, motivation, and self-regulation in academic, psychosocial, and health-related outcomes of students. 

  • Clarissa Pinto Pizarro de Freitas, Salgado de Oliveira University, Brazil

    CLARISSA PINTO PIZARRO de FREITAS, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Salgado de Oliveira University. Her research interests include subjective well-being, meaning in life, self-efficacy, as well as psychometrics. 

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Published

2018-10-01

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 4 (2018)

Section

Research Articles (English)

License

All published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Unported License.

How to Cite

Curiosity and Autonomy as Factors That Promote Personal Growth in the Cross-cultural Transition Process of International Students. (2018). Journal of International Students, 8(4), 1694–1708. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v8i4.225