Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Volume 41, Issue 9, 2007, Pages 740-750

Acculturative stressor and meaning of life as predictors of negative affect in acculturation: A cross-cultural comparative study between Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong (Article)

Pan J.-Y.* , Wong D.F.K. , Joubert L. , Chan C.L.W.
  • a Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • b Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • c School of Social Work, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VC, Australia
  • d Centre on Behavioral Health, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to compare the predictive effects of acculturative stressor and meaning of life on negative affect in the process of acculturation between Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong. Method: Four hundred mainland Chinese students studying at six universities in Hong Kong and 227 Chinese international students studying at the University of Melbourne in Australia completed a questionnaire that included measures of acculturative stressor, meaning of life, negative affect and demographic information. Results: The Australian sample was found to have a higher level of acculturative stressor and negative affect than the Hong Kong sample. Acculturative stressor had a positive impact on negative affect in both samples, but the impact of different domains of acculturative stressor on negative affect varied between the two groups. Finally, meaning of life partially mediated the relationship between acculturative stressor and negative affect in the Hong Kong sample, but no such effect was found in the Australia sample. Conclusions: Acculturative stressor is a critical risk factor for negative affect in acculturation for Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong. Meaning of life acted as a protective factor that mitigated negative affect for mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong, but not for the Chinese international students in Australia. The theoretical and practical implications for resilience-based and meaning-oriented intervention for Chinese international students are discussed.

Author Keywords

Chinese international student motional well-being Acculturation

Index Keywords

China depression Chinese college student regression analysis Australia postgraduate education demography human Stress, Psychological controlled study comparative study affect Adaptation, Psychological Victoria Humans Cross-Cultural Comparison male Acculturation female prediction risk factor Risk Factors student attitude adaptive behavior questionnaire cultural factor Article Questionnaires adult Hong Kong International Educational Exchange Students Adjustment Disorders personality assessment Personal Satisfaction
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-34547862066&doi=10.1080%2f00048670701517942&partnerID=40&md5=69303a6b9e4ff57a226e6a400fbef09d
DOI: 10.1080/00048670701517942
ISSN: 00048674
Cited by: 25
Original Language: English