Social Support: A Moderator between Cultural Intelligence and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of International Students in Chinese Universities

IntroductionCross-cultural adaptation occurs when individuals switch to host cultures from their original cultures. Cross-cultural adaptation is defined as a tendentious and conscious choice and adjustment based on individuals' cognition and emotional dependence on those two cultures (Yang, 2004). The uni-dimension model of cross-cultural adaptation was first described by Parks and Miller, and later developed by Grodon (Flannery et ah, 2001). Berry (1980) developed a double dimensional model that is most frequently used (Berry, 2002; Berry et ah, 2003; Bourhis et ah, 1997). Arends-Toth and van de Vijver (2004) described the fusion model, a totally different model, to explain acculturation processes. Although these theoretical studies are inconsistent or even contradictory, they all focus on interactions between individuals and new cultures. To examine the process of cultural adaptation, Earley and Ang (2003) first definitely proposed the concept of cultural intelligence, and it is defined as an individual's ability to effectively contact with people from other cultures. Researches found the cultural intelligence to be one factor influencing cross-cultural adaptation. It is a new perspective for cross-cultural adjustment based on individual difference (Xiao & Zhang, 2012). Most prior research of cultural intelligence focuses on working place (e. g. Claudelevy, 2007; Tang et ah, 2010; Templer et al., 2006). However, as an important factor in cross-cultural adaptation, little research explores the effect of cultural intelligence in the cross-cultural adaptation of international students in China.With the economic development of China, increasingly international students study in Chinese universities. Recently researchers began to explore the cross-cultural adaptation of international students in China. Some factors were found to influence their cross-cultural adaptation. For example, Yang (2004) divided those factors into macro factors, micro factors, and cultural interactions. The macro factors include social support that offers emotional and moral support to international students. Unlike Yang, Chen (2006) investigated environmental adaptation, interpersonal adaptation, dealing model adaptation, privacy attitude adaptation, language adaptation, and social support adaptation. They all suggested social support as a key variable in cross-cultural adaptation. Social support helps individuals get closer to others by reducing their anxiety in new cultures, and, thus, leads to a better adaptation.The present study explored the levels of cultural intelligence, social support, and cross-cultural adaptation of international students in Chinese universities and their relations. It was hypothesized that (a) cultural intelligence and social support are both correlated with cross-cultural adaptation, (b) social support is correlated with cultural intelligence, and (c) social support moderates the effect of cultural intelligence on cross-cultural adaptation.MethodParticipantsParticipants (age: M = 21.8; SD = 4.56; 31.5% female) were 127 international students from several universities in central China. Participants came from different continents, including Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.MeasuresThe Demographical Questionnaire included questions about nationality, gender, age, education level, Chinese language proficiency, visiting history, and residence time. The Acculturation Scale was developed by Yang (2004) to test the cross-cultural adaptation in China. It was constituted by 5 dimensions: language adaptation, living adaptation, study adaptation, interpersonal relation adaptation, and mental adaptation. Participants indicated the extent to which they agreed to each statement on a 5-point-Likert scale. A high score means a good cross-cultural adaptation.The Cultural Intelligence Scale was a widely used 20-item questionnaire that assessed 4 factors of cultural intelligence: metacognitive, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral (Van Dyne et ah, 2008). …