On the basis of a process model of acculturation (Berry, Kim, Minde, & Mok, 1987) and the concept of secure base for interpersonal exploration in adult attachment (Bowlby, 1988), this study hypothesized that sociocultural adjustment difficulties and psychological distress of Chinese international students (N = 104) living in the United States would be positively associated with attachment avoidance and anxiety and negatively associated with both acculturation to the U.S. culture and identification with the home culture. Survey packets contained the Experiences in Close Relationships scale, the Acculturation Index, the Socio-Cultural Adaptation Scale, and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18. Results suggested that attachment anxiety was negatively associated with students' acculturation to U.S. culture, and that attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and acculturation to U.S. culture were significant predictors for students' psychosocial adjustment. Copyright 2006 by the American Psychological Association.

Adult attachment Chinese culture International students Acculturation

anxiety rating scale Chinese social psychology human adjustment foreign student Taiwan predictor variable United States avoidance behavior Brief Symptom Inventory international student process model cultural factor Article distress syndrome sociocultural adaptation scale Experiences in Close Relationships Scale acculturation index social class emotional attachment