The Relationships Among Perfectionism, Acculturation, and Stress in Asian International Students

This study examined relationships among perfectionism, acculturation, and stress in 76 Asian international students. Results showed that perfectionism and acculturation predicted stress, together accounting for 50% of the variance in stress. Furthermore, acculturation explained students' experience of stress above and beyond perfectionism, and 1 specific acculturation variable examined, perceived prejudice, revealed the strongest relationship with stress. Implications for providing counseling services to international students and for future research are described. ********** Adjusting to college can be stressful for any student, but, for international students, this stress is often multiplied. Because they must adjust simultaneously to a new culture, language, and educational system (e.g., Chen, 1999; Mori, 2000; Poyrazli, Kavanaugh, Baker, & Al-Timimi, 2004), succeeding academically and socially can be especially challenging for many international students (e.g., Mori, 2000; Poyrazli, Arbona, Nora, McPherson, & Pisecco, 2002; Roysircar, 2004). Furthermore, students from non--Westernized cultures and other cultures that are notably dissimilar from U.S. culture often experience more challenges than do their international peers from Westernized cultures (Sheehan & Pearson, 1995; Sodowsky & Plake, 1992; Yeh & Inose, 2003). In particular, among the 670,000 international students studying on campuses in the United States, 50% arrive from countries in Asia, with India and China representing the two largest portions of students (Institute of International Education, 2005). Correspondingly, in this study, we investigated stress experienced by Asian international students through its relationship with acculturation and perfectionism. Acculturation Acculturation is defined as the process of adapting to a new culture, including the behavioral and other internal changes that take place during this process (e.g., Berry, Kim, Minde, & Mok, 1987; Redfield, Linton, & Herskovits, 1936; Sodowsky & Plake, 1991). In a series of studies with international people, including international college students who were making the transition to life in the United States, Sodowsky and Plake (1991, 1992) identified three factors that compose acculturation. The first factor, Acculturation/Social Customs, refers to an international person's acceptance of the United States and its people. The second factor, Language Use, refers to proficiency in English versus reliance on one's native tongue. The third factor, Perceived Prejudice, describes the degree to which international persons feel accepted by Americans. Sodowsky and Plake (1992) reported that increases in two of these acculturation factors, Acculturation/Social Customs and Language Use, were associated with time. Specifically, the longer international individuals resided in the United States, the more they used the English language and accepted U.S. culture. The transition or acculturation to the United States can be difficult, given that international students must learn to function academically and socially in a potentially new language and culture, while also adjusting to the loss of familiar coping resources, such as family, community support, and native language (e.g., Chen, 1999; Hechanova-Alampay, Beehr, Christiansen, & Van Horn, 2002; Mori, 2000). Not surprisingly, there are potentially negative implications for students who are less successful in negotiating this transition. Specifically, according to previous studies, international students who report lower levels of acculturation report greater levels of stress (Chen, 1999; Hechanova-Alampay et al., 2002; Padilla, Wagatsuman, & Lindholm, 1984; Parr, Bradley, & Bingi, 1992) and psychological distress (Wilton & Constantine, 2003). Perfectionism In studies of U.S. college students, various personality characteristics have also been linked with stress. …