The U-Curve on trial: a longitudinal study of psychological and sociocultural adjustment during Cross-Cultural transition

Abstract

The research examined cross-cultural transition and adjustment of sojourners in a longitudinal study of psychological and sociocultural adaptation of Japanese students in New Zealand. Thirty-five newly arrived students completed questionnaires which monitored depression (psychological adjustment) and social difficulty (sociocultural adaptation) at four time periods: within 24 hours of arrival in the country and at 4, 6 and 12 months in New Zealand. Neither psychological nor sociocultural measurements of adaptation demonstrated the popular U-curve of adjustment. Contrary to the U-curve proposition and in line with our hypotheses, adjustment problems were greatest at entry point and decreased over time. The magnitudes of the correlations between psychological and sociocultural adjustment were also examined over the four time periods. As hypothesized, the relationship between the two adjustment indicators was insignificant at the first testing (r =−0.05); however, the magnitude significantly increased (r =0.36, p <0.05) after 12 months in New Zealand. The distinction between psychological and sociocultural adaptation, their relationship and variation over time and the importance of longitudinal research with sojourners are discussed.