The Role of Personality Traits and Demographic Characteristics in Psychological and Sociocultural Adjustment: Evidence from International Pakistani Scholars

Abstract

Studying away from home is a divergent experience; exciting and stressful for students studying abroad. The present study examined the role of demographic variables and personality, in sociocultural adjustment, and acculturative stress in Pakistani Muslim International students. Two hundred and seventy Pakistani students participated in this study. Data were collected using a consent form, demographic form, Acculturative Stress Scale for Pakistani Muslim International Students, Sociocultural Adjustment Scale-Revised (SCAS-R), and the Big Five Inventory-The BFI (John & Srivastava, 1999). According to the results, demographic variables predicted acculturative stress while personality contributed to predicting sociocultural adjustment. It was also observed that no demographic variables played a significant role in sociocultural adjustment. Extraversion and neuroticism were positive predictors of acculturative stress. Other results, such as six subscales of acculturative strings, five subscales of sociocultural adjustment, and interaction of demographic variables with other variables were further examined in the context of Pakistani culture. The results of the present study also highlighted the factors that affected acculturative stress, personality traits that promoted sociocultural adjustment, and demographic variables that contributed to the adjustment of Pakistani international students. The current study provided important information that suggested the importance of perseverance traits in the selection of students for studying abroad for the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and the factors contributing to acculturative stress. Implications regarding the need to initiate counseling services for vulnerable students, and implementation of policies at institutional and government levels to assist students in facilitating their adjustment while their stay abroad, is discussed.