Demographic Correlates of Acculturation and Sociocultural Adaptation

Comparing International and Domestic Students

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v10i1.614

Keywords:

Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, Counseling, International Students

Abstract

A cross-sectional survey study of international (n=207) and domestic (n=173) students revealed, as expected, that international students had higher acculturative stress than domestic students, but this difference did not vary by marital status or length of stay. Also, women from high Uncertainty Avoidance (UA) and high Power Distance (PD) countries (vs. low UA and high PD countries) had greater social interaction acculturative stress (e.g., difficulty making friends). Thus, cultural background plays an important role in students’ adaptation and university counselors might need to collaborate with academic staff to help international students adjust. Female students from high UA and high PD countries may be especially in need of assistance to cope with acculturative stress.

 

Author Biographies

  • Hande Güzel, University of Baltimore, USA

    HANDE GÜZEL, MS, is a doctoral student in Social Psychology at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University and a Research Assistant in the Department of Educational Sciences at Kastamonu University. Her major research interests lie in the area of acculturation, stress, adaptation, and substance dependence

  • Sharon Glazer, University of Baltimore, USA

    SHARON GLAZER, PhD, is Professor and Chair in the Division of Applied Behavioral Sciences at University of Baltimore. Her major research interests lie in the area of occupational health and stress across cultures, including values, temporal orientation, social support, and acculturation.

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Published

2019-11-15

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Research Articles (English)

How to Cite

Demographic Correlates of Acculturation and Sociocultural Adaptation: Comparing International and Domestic Students. (2019). Journal of International Students, 9(4), 1074-1094. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v10i1.614