The role of perceived cultural distance in the acculturation of exchange students in Russia

Abstract

This study is the first to address processes of psychological acculturation by exchange students in Russia. Using a sample of 168 exchange students in Moscow from China, North Korea, and countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in the former Soviet Union, the hypothesis was confirmed that a larger perceived cultural distance between mainstream and immigrant culture is associated with less psychological and sociocultural adaptation. The Chinese and North-Korean group reported to experience the largest perceived cultural distance and the lowest levels of adjustment, while the groups from the former USSR and (to a slightly lesser extent) Africa reported the smallest perceived cultural distance and the highest levels of adjustment. The results of a stepwise regression analysis showed that antecedent variables (perceived cultural distance, home and host domain resources, and personality) showed somewhat stronger associations with outcome variables (self-esteem, stress, and behavior in the home and the host domain) than did intervening variables (acculturation attitudes and coping).