Formation of cross‐cultural relationships of Taiwanese international students in the United States

Abstract

AbstractThe formation of cross‐cultural relationships has been shown to be an important predictor of international students' adjustment in the United States. However, few empirical studies have identified the factors that contribute to the formation of such relationships. This longitudinal study empirically examined social network composition of 155 Taiwanese graduate students at approximately 1 year (14 months) after they arrived in the United States, as predicted by prearrival, and 2 and 9 months postarrival data. A multidimensional model of social network composition, including personality, knowledge, attitude, skill, and environmental context, guided the study. Using a regression model, the probability of forming friendship with Americans at 14 months postarrival was positively associated with the following factors: their personality (i.e., extraversion), knowledge of the United States, attitude about forming friendship with Americans (positive association) and Taiwanese (negative association), their communication skills (facility understanding English), and their social environmental context (limited availability of Chinese students on their campus). Implications of the study findings are discussed. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.