SELF-CONSTRUALS, COPING, AND STRESS IN CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION

This study examines differences in the independent and interdependent self-construals of American and East Asian students studying in the Un ited States and the influence of these self-construals on coping and s tress. Path analysis revealed that the importance of the independent s elf-construal was positively related to direct coping strategies, whic h predicted reduced levels of stress for the international students. R atings of the importance of the interdependent self-construal were pos itively related to increased stress for the Asian students. The self-c onstruals and direct coping were the strongest predictors of stress fo r East Asian students; variables commonly identified in other research addressing cross-cultural adaptation (e.g., number of host country fr iends, relationships with conationals, language ability, and previous cross-cultural experience) did not significantly predict stress for th e international students. The effects of the self-construals and copin g were moderated by culture, however, and were not predictive of perce ived stress for American students.