Forbearance coping, identification with heritage culture, acculturative stress, and psychological distress among Chinese international students

Based on Berry's (1997) theoretical framework for acculturation, our goal in this study was to examine whether the use of a culturally relevant coping strategy (i.e., forbearance coping, a predictor) would be associated with a lower level of psychological distress (a psychological outcome), for whom (i.e., those with weaker vs. stronger identification with heritage culture, a moderator), and under what situations (i.e., lower vs. higher acculturative stress, a moderator). A total of 188 Chinese international students completed an online survey. Results from a hierarchical regression indicated a significant 3-way interaction of forbearance coping, identification with heritage culture, and acculturative stress on psychological distress. For those with a weaker identification with their heritage culture, when acculturative stress was higher, the use of forbearance coping was positively associated with psychological distress. However, this was not the case when acculturative stress was lower. In other words, the use of forbearance coping was not significantly associated with psychological distress when acculturative stress was lower. Moreover, for those with a stronger cultural heritage identification, the use of forbearance coping was not significantly associated with psychological distress regardless of whether acculturative stress was high or low. Future research and implications are discussed.     

Ethnic identity and psychosocial adjustment among international students

A total of 118 international students studying in four different universities in the USA participated. Analyses indicated that search for ethnic identity and English proficiency predicted psychosocial adjustment. Students with higher English proficiency and students who understood the role of ethnic identity for themselves and showed commitment to learning more about their background also tended to report better adjustment.     

Affective and attributional features of acculturative stress among ethnic minority college students

Little is known about the affective features of acculturative stress or its relation to attributional styles for negative events. The authors examined associations among acculturative stress, attributional style, and positive and negative affect among 96 ethnic minority college students. They hypothesized that acculturative stress would be characterized by elevated negative affect and global and stable attributions for negative events. Consistent with prediction, acculturative stress was significantly associated with negative affect and global attributions, even when controlling for other relevant predictors. Attributional style did not account for the association between negative affect and acculturative stress. Positive affect and stable and internal attributional styles were not related to acculturative stress. The authors discuss implications for reducing stress associated with acculturation.     

Personality, acculturation, and psychosocial adjustment of Chinese international students in Germany

The effect of personality traits and acculturation variables on crosscultural adjustment were investigated in 139 Chinese students in Germany (52% girls; M age = 25.3 yr., SD = 2.9). Participants were surveyed by house visits to their dormitories. Several scales were administered: (a) Big Five Inventory; (b) Vancouver Index of Acculturation; (c) sociocultural adjustment, general and academic; and (d) psychological adjustment, i.e., depression, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Results showed that Neuroticism and Openness were two shared predictors of sociocultural adjustment. Agreeableness and mainstream acculturation were only related to general adjustment, while Conscientiousness was only related to academic adjustment. All facets of psychological adjustment were related to Neuroticism and Consciousness, while positive components (self-esteem and life satisfaction) were also related to Extraversion and Openness. No influence of heritage acculturation was found. The findings are discussed in light of measurement issues and the shared and unique individual predictors of the different facets of adjustment.     

Perceived discrimination, social connectedness, and other predictors of adjustment difficulties among Turkish international students

This study examined the role of perceived discrimination, social connectedness, age, gender, years of study in the US, English language competency, and social contact patterns on adjustment difficulties among a sample of 229 Turkish international students studying in the United States. Findings indicated that students who reported higher levels of social connectedness, lower levels of perceived discrimination, more years of study in the US, and higher levels of English language competency reported lower levels of adjustment difficulties. Other results showed that (lack of) social connectedness and perceived discrimination were predictors of adjustment difficulties. In addition, results indicated that students who socialized with individuals from the US had lower levels of adjustment difficulties than did those who socialized with coculture members. Implications are discussed and suggestions for interventions are provided.     

Examining the impact of acculturative stress on body image disturbance among Hispanic college students

This study investigated the impact of acculturative stress on psychological well-being and body image disturbance in a sample of female and male Hispanic individuals. The unique protective effects of differing social support sources, including family and peer support, were examined against acculturative stress and body image disturbance. A total of 399 participants of Hispanic origin were recruited from Texas Tech University in West Texas. Students completed a battery of measures of acculturative stress and internalization of the thin ideal, as well as perceived social support. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that acculturative stress is a significant positive predictor of body image disturbance among Hispanic college students. Thin ideal internalization was found to mediate this relationship such that acculturative stress was associated with heightened body image disturbance through its impact on thin ideal internalization. Social support significantly reduced acculturative stress as well as body image disturbance but did not moderate the relation between these 2 factors. Results highlight the importance of considering acculturative stress as a strong predictor of body image disturbance among college students of Hispanic origin. The mechanisms of influence of acculturative stress on body image disturbance are discussed in relation to thin ideal internalization. The protective role of social support on these negative psychological outcomes is also clarified. This study is the first to examine these issues in a sample of female and male Hispanic college students and provides avenues for clinical interventions and future trials with diverse populations.     

Influence of self-concept on school adjustment among middle-school students

The view that children's self-concepts influence their school adjustment and behavior is widely accepted, but the strength of the influence and the contribution of specific self-concept dimensions to children's nonacademic performance in school are uncertain. This issue is important in view of evidence that behavior problems are acute among minority children in inner-city public schools. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between specific self-concept dimensions and school adjustment in three areas: (a) general classroom behavior, (b) group participation, and (c) attitude toward authority, as assessed by teachers. The sample consisted of 142 American middle-school children who attended four inner-city public schools. The results showed that significant bivariate correlations existed between each self-concept dimension on the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the three behavioral domains studied. Stepwise multiple regression procedures also indicated strong individual and combined predictive power among the self-concept dimensions.     

Measuring drinking patterns among college students.

Alcohol use among college students is of interest to clinicians and researchers. The results of such studies depend on the quality and nature of the measures used. The literature includes a wide variety of operational definitions of drinking patterns, making difficult comparisons across studies. For 109 men and 83 women attending college this paper provides data on the Drinking Practices Questionnaire, a self-report measure of drinking patterns designed specifically for use with college students. The three subscales, Negative Affect, Positive Expectancies, and Negative Consequences, have good internal consistency reliabilities, and scores correlate significantly with measures of problems associated with alcohol use. Appropriate uses of the measure are discussed.     

Predictors of sociocultural adjustment among sojourning Malaysian students in Britain

The process of cross-cultural migration may be particularly difficult for students travelling overseas for further or higher education, especially where qualitative differences exist between the home and host nations. The present study examined the sociocultural adjustment of sojourning Malaysian students in Britain. Eighty-one Malay and 110 Chinese students enrolled in various courses answered a self-report questionnaire that examined various aspects of sociocultural adjustment. A series of one-way analyses of variance showed that Malay participants experienced poorer sociocultural adjustment in comparison with their Chinese counterparts. They were also less likely than Chinese students to have contact with co-nationals and host nationals, more likely to perceive their actual experience in Britain as worse than they had expected, and more likely to perceive greater cultural distance and greater discrimination. The results of regression analyses showed that, for Malay participants, perceived discrimination accounted for the greatest proportion of variance in sociocultural adjustment (73%), followed by English language proficiency (10%) and contact with host nationals (4%). For Chinese participants, English language proficiency was the strongest predictor of sociocultural adjustment (54%), followed by expectations of life in Britain (18%) and contact with host nationals (3%). By contrast, participants' sex, age, and length of residence failed to emerge as significant predictors for either ethnic group. Possible explanations for this pattern of findings are discussed, including the effects of Islamophobia on Malay-Muslims in Britain, possible socioeconomic differences between Malay and Chinese students, and personality differences between the two ethnic groups. The results are further discussed in relation to practical steps that can be taken to improve the sociocultural adjustment of sojourning students in Britain.     

Inter- and intra-group differences in psychological concerns among international students

With data gathered from 47 university counseling centers in the United States, this study addresses both inter- and intra-group differences in symptomatology at intake among international students. In Study 1, symptomatology among international students was explored in comparison to US ethnic groups. In Study 2, intra-group differences in symptomatology among international students were examined. In Study 1, data consisted of 14,421 international, White American, African American, Asian American, and Latina/Latino American counseling center clients who completed the CCAPS-62 at intake. Partially supporting our hypothesis, results indicate significant findings among international students in the social anxiety and academic distress domains of the CCAPS-62. Contrary to our expectations, Asian American students reported significantly greater concerns across many domains when compared to other groups. In Study 2, international students (n = 607) were further divided into five continents of origin: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Europe. Results indicate that in multiple domains, international students from Asia and Africa reported significantly greater concerns than those from Europe, North America, or South America. Implications of findings for university counseling centers and universities at large are discussed.     

The possible selves of international students and their cross‐cultural adjustment in Canada

We assessed 93 international students’ reports of their expected and feared possible selves in terms of their thematic content and configuration, and examined the relations between possible selves and cultural adjustment in Canada. The results showed that international students mostly envisioned possible selves in career, education, intrapersonal, and interpersonal domains, and reported more balanced configurations than matched configurations of possible selves. Balanced possible selves in the educational domain were associated with better psychological well‐being, but balanced selves in the intrapersonal domains were linked with more frequent sociocultural difficulties. The findings suggest that the content of international students’ possible selves reflects not only their academic‐focused and career‐inspired sojourn, but also their intercultural experiences with various ethnic groups in the Canadian multicultural society. As well, they speak to the motivational significance of possible selves, particularly the balanced possible selves, for supporting international students’ motivation to pursue an international education and for facilitating a successful cross‐cultural sojourn.     

Career decision-making difficulties of British and Chinese international university students

This study explored cultural and gender differences in career decision-making difficulties (CDMD) experienced by 109 British and 86 Chinese international university students, and the impact of cross-cultural adjustment on the CDMD of Chinese international students. Results showed no significant cultural differences in overall CDMD, and that the cross-cultural adjustment of Chinese participants was not correlated with their difficulty in career decision-making. Significant cultural differences on the sub-categories of the Career Decision-making Difficulties Questionnaire (e.g. Chinese participants were significantly less ready than British participants to make career decisions) and some significant gender differences (e.g. male participants generally experienced fewer difficulties than female participants in career decision-making) were identified. Age and degree level were negatively related to the level of difficulty the participants experienced in career decision-making. Implications for career counselling and future research directions are discussed.     

Burnout among Finnish and Chinese university students

In this study the levels of experienced burnout of Finnish and Chinese university students are compared using School Burnout Inventory (SBI). This study is motivated by earlier studies, which suggest that the level of student burnout is different in the culturally distinct Finnish and Chinese university systems, but which are based on different research instruments for the two groups. The sample studied consisted of 3,035 Finnish students and 2,309 Chinese students. Because of the cross‐cultural nature of this study the level of structural equivalence of SBI between the cultural groups was examined and the effect of different response styles on the results was taken into account. Both standard and robust statistical methods were used for the analyses. The results showed that SBI with two extracted components is suitable for cross‐cultural analysis between Finnish and Chinese university students. Virtually no difference was found in experienced overall burnout between the Finnish and Chinese students, which means that both university systems contain factors causing similar levels of student burnout. This study also verified that controlling for the response styles is important in cross‐cultural studies as it was found to have a distinct effect on the results obtained from mean‐level comparisons.     

Effects of racial socialization and racial identity on acculturative stress in African American college students

The aim of this study was to determine if racial identity mediates the relation between racial socialization and acculturative stress in African American university students, once demographic factors are accounted for. In a sample of 84 participants, significant relations were found between racial socialization and acculturative stress, racial socialization and racial identity, and racial identity and acculturative stress. Partial support for a mediational model was found, with the best predictors of acculturative stress being immersion attitudes and internalization attitudes.     

College adjustment and older students

When mean scores on the College Adjustment Scale for 21 students, ages 31 to 51 years, were compared with means of the standardization sample, values fell well within the acceptable ranges of 42nd to 67th percentiles, suggesting the scale could be given older students.     

The relationship between interaction patterns and agoraphobic fears among college students

In the present study, we investigated the relationships between self-reports of agoraphobic-like anxiety (fear of open, crowded places), panic experiences, childhood separation anxiety, and family interaction patterns in a college student population. The research was conducted in two parts. Correlational analyses of the results of Study 1 revealed significant relationships between anxiety, difficulties in managing life transitions, and measures of family interaction (intergenerational and peer individuation, intergenerational and peer intimacy) as measured by the Personal Authority in the Family System (Questionnaire (Williamson, Bay, Harvey, & Malone, 1985). In Study 2, we observed significant correlations between agoraphobic anxiety and measures of childhood separation anxiety, state and trait anxiety, and patterns of family enmeshment. The results were interpreted in the context of a broad perspective, which includes the role of developmental and interactional variables in the onset and maintenance of agoraphobic anxiety.     

Psychosocial costs of racism to Whites: Understanding patterns among university students

This investigation adds to the growing body of scholarship on the psychosocial costs of racism to Whites (PCRW), which refer to consequences of being in the dominant position in an unjust, hierarchical system of societal racism. Extending research that identified 5 distinct constellations of costs of racism (L. B. Spanierman, V. P. Poteat, A. M. Beer, & P. I. Armstrong, 2006), the authors used multinomial logistic regression in the current study to examine what factors related to membership in 1 of the 5 PCRW types during the course of an academic year. Among a sample of White university freshmen (n = 287), the authors found that (a) diversity attitudes (i.e., universal diverse orientation and unawareness of privilege) explained PCRW type at entrance, (b) PCRW type at entrance explained participation in interracial friendships at the end of the year, (c) 45% of participants changed PCRW type during the course of the year, and (d) among those who changed type, particular PCRW types at entrance resulted in greater likelihood of membership in particular PCRW types at the end of the year. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).     

Primary prevention of acculturative stress among refugees. Application of psychological theory and practice

Primary prevention in refugee mental health requires information from clinical, health, and cross-cultural psychology. Primary prevention's roots are in public health, which is distinguished by a communitywide perspective for addressing mental health concerns. This article summarizes research suggesting that refugees are an at-risk population, making them especially suitable for public health interventions. Research on stress and acculturation is highlighted, given its importance to prevention in refugee mental health. The opportunities for primary prevention programs and policies at 3 levels (i.e., local community, national, and international) are illustrated with case examples from both the United States and Canada. Prevention at the international level is highlighted by a World Health Organization Mental Health Mission to camps on the Thai-Cambodian border.