Acculturation and adjustment as a function of perceived and objective value congruence

Area of Science:

• Cross-cultural psychology
• Sociology
• International education

Background:

• Culture fit research presents conceptual and methodological inconsistencies.
• Understanding value congruence is crucial for international students' adjustment.
• Acculturation and socio-cultural adjustment are key outcomes influenced by cultural values.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore culture fit through perceived and objective value congruence.
• To examine the relationship between value congruence, acculturation, and socio-cultural adjustment.
• To compare value perceptions and congruence between international and domestic students in the USA.

Main Methods:

• Survey research involving 187 international students and 138 domestic students in the USA.
• Measurement of perceived and objective value congruence across ten core values.
• Analysis of relationships between value congruence, acculturation strategies, and socio-cultural adjustment.

Main Results:

• International students' perceptions of U.S. values significantly differed from domestic students' actual values for most value types.
• Domestic students reported higher perceived congruence for stimulation and self-direction values, but lower for benevolence, power, and universalism.
• Marginalized international students experienced incongruence in benevolence and tradition values, with objective incongruence linked to marginalization.
• Perceived value congruence positively correlated with socio-cultural adjustment for international students, contrary to domestic students.

Conclusions:

• Value congruence, both perceived and objective, plays a significant role in international students' adjustment.
• Discrepancies in value perceptions highlight potential challenges for international students.
• Acculturation strategies and perceived value congruence are critical factors for successful socio-cultural adjustment.