The impacts of academic adaptation on psychological and sociocultural adaptation among international students in China: The moderating role of friendship

Abstract

The population of international students continues to grow in China, making it important to look for ways to make the travel experience of this mostly English-instructed group more rewarding. Cross-cultural adjustment and friendships established in the host country are crucial aspects of international students’ experiences. Psychological adaptation and sociocultural adaptation have been found to be correlated, and international students’ social ties with families, locals, and nonlocals have proven to be vital to cross-cultural adjustment. The current study seeks to further the research by exploring the potential impacts of academic adaptation on psychological adaptation and sociocultural adaptation, and examining the role of host national friendship, co-national friendship and other forms of national friendship in cross-cultural adjustment among international students in China. International students (N = 211) from 22 countries in Africa and Asia who were enrolled in English-instructed programs in a Chinese university completed the survey. The results suggested that academic adaptation and host national friendships were significantly positively associated with both psychological adaptation and sociocultural adaptation. Co-national friendship was significantly negatively associated with psychological adaptation while other types of national friendship were not significantly related to psychological adaptation. Host national friendship significantly moderated the effects of academic adaptation on psychological adaptation and sociocultural adaptation.