Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sojourners’ Ineffective Sociocultural Adaptation: Paranoia as a Joint Function of Distrust toward Host Nationals and Neuroticism

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study examines how sojourners’ paranoia mediates the negative relationship between their distrust toward host nationals and sociocultural adaptation, and how sojourners’ neuroticism moderates this mediated relationship. By conducting a two-part survey study with U.S. undergraduate students who traveled abroad for academic programs, I found that only among neurotic sojourners, distrust toward host nationals was negatively related to sociocultural adaptation, mediated by paranoia. These findings suggest that distrust-related cognition and emotion as well as neuroticism are all important predictors of sociocultural adaptation, and shed light on the inquiry regarding sojourners’ adaptation and distrust/trust.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C., Ng, K. Y., Templer, K. J., Tay, C., & Chandrasekar, N. A. (2007). Cultural intelligence: its measurement and effects on cultural judgment and decision making, cultural adaptation and task performance. Management and Organization Review, 3, 335–371. doi:10.1111/j.1740-8784.2007.00082.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashleigh, M. J., Higgs, M., & Dulewicz, V. (2012). A new propensity to trust scale and its relationship with individual well-being: implications for HRM policies and practices. Human Resource Management Journal, 22, 360–376. doi:10.1111/1748-8583.12007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bar-Tal, D. (2007). Sociopsychological foundations of intractable conflicts. American Behavioral Scientist, 50, 1430–1453. doi:10.1177/0002764207302462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Black, J. S., & Stephens, G. K. (1989). The influence of the spouse on American expatriate adjustment and intent to stay in Pacific Rim overseas assignments. Journal of Management, 15, 529–544. doi:10.1177/014920638901500403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brisset, C., Safdar, S., Lewis, J. R., & Sabatier, C. (2010). Psychological and sociocultural adaptation of university students in France: the case of Vietnamese international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34, 413–426. doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2010.02.009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, M. E., & McAllister, D. J. (2014). Abusive supervision through the lens of employee state paranoia. Academy of Management Review, 39, 44–66.

  • Chen, A. S. –. Y., Lin, Y.–. C., & Sawangpattanakul, A. (2011). The relationship between cultural intelligence and performance with the mediating effect of cultural shock: A case from Philippine laborers in Taiwan. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35, 246–258. doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2010.09.005.

  • Cheng, C. -Y., & Leung, A. K. -Y. (2012). Revisiting the multicultural experience-creativity link: the effects of perceived cultural distance and comparison mind-set. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4, 475–482. doi:10.5465/amr.2011.0419.

  • Church, A. T., & Burke, P. J. (1994). Exploratory and confirmatory tests of the big five and Tellegen’s three- and four-dimensions models. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 93–114. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.66.1.93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cotton, S. J., Dollard, M. F., & de Jonge, J. (2002). Stress and student job design: Satisfaction, well-being, and performance in university students. International Journal of Stress Management, 9, 147–162. doi:10.1023/A:1015515714410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davison, A. C., & Hinkley, D. V. (1997). Bootstrap methods and their application. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Demes, K. A., & Geeraert, N. (2015). The highs and lows of a cultural transition: A longitudinal analysis of sojourner stress and adaptation across 50 countries. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109, 316–337. doi:10.1037/pspp0000046.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Derogatis, L. R., & Melisaratos, N. (1983). The brief symptom inventory: an introductory report. Psychological Medicine, 13, 595–605. doi:10.1017/S0033291700048017.

  • DeYoung, C. G. (2006). Higher-order factors of the big five in a multi-informant sample. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 1138–1151. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.91.6.1138.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dimoka, A. (2010). What does the brain tell us about trust and distrust? evidence from a functional neuroimaging study. MIS Quarterly, 34, 373–396.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, J. R., & Schweitzer, M. E. (2005). Feeling and believing: the influence of emotion on trust. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 736–748. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.88.5.736.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Efron, B. (1988). Bootstrap confidence intervals: good or bad? Psychological Bulletin, 104, 293–296. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.104.2.293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellsworth, P. C., & Scherer, K. R. (2003). Appraisal processes in emotion. In R. J. Davidson, K. R. Scherer, & H. H. Goldsmith (Eds.), Handbook of affective sciences (pp. 572–595). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

  • Fenigstein, A., & Vanable, P. A. (1992). Paranoia and self-consciousness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 129–138. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.62.1.129.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frijda, N. H., Kuipers, P., & ter Schure, E. (1989). Relations among emotion, appraisal, and emotional action readiness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 212–228. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.57.2.212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis. New York, NY: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogg, M. A., & Terry, D. I. (2000). Social identity and self-categorization processes in organizational contexts. Academy of Management Review, 25, 121–140. doi:10.5465/AMR.2000.2791606.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kong, D. T. (2016). Ethnic minorities’ paranoia and self-preservative work behaviors in response to perceived ethnic discrimination, with collective self-esteem as a buffer. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, in press. doi: 10.1037/ocp0000013

  • Lazarus, R. S. (1997). Acculturation isn’t everything. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46, 39–43. doi:10.1111/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01089.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewicki, R. J., McAllister, D. J., & Bies, R. (1998). Trust and distrust: new relationships and realities. Academy of Management Review, 23, 438–458. doi:10.5465/AMR.1998.926620.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, S., Wang, M., Zhan, Y., & Shi, J. (2009). Daily work stress and alcohol use: testing the cross-level moderation effects of neuroticism and job involvement. Personnel Psychology, 62, 575–597. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6570.2009.01149.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marin, G., & Gamba, R. J. (1996). A new measurement of acculturation for Hispanics: the Bidimensional acculturation scale for Hispanics (BAS). Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 18, 297–316. doi:10.1177/07399863960183002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKnight, D. H., & Chervany, N. L. (2001). Trust and distrust definitions: one bite at a time. In R. Falcone, M. Singh, & Y. –. H. Tan (Eds.), Trust in cyber-societies (pp. 27–54). Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.

  • Mooradian, T. A., & Nezlek, J. B. (1996). Comparing the NEO-FFI and Saucier’s mini-markers as measures of the big five. Personality and Individual Differences, 21, 213–215. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(96)00057-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mroczek, D. K., & Almeida, D. M. (2004). The effect of daily stress, personality, and age on daily negative affect. Journal of Personality, 72, 355–378. doi:10.1111/j.0022-3506.2004.00265.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muller, D., Judd, C. M., & Yzerbyt, V. Y. (2005). When moderation is mediated and mediation is moderated. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 852–863. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.89.6.852.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Preacher, K. J., & Selig, J. P. (2012). Advantages of Monte Carlo confidence intervals for indirect effects. Communication Methods and Measures, 6, 77–98. doi:10.1080/19312458.2012.679848.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, R. W., Hendin, H. M., & Trzesniewski, K. H. (2001). Measuring global self-esteem: Construct validation of a single-item measure and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 151–161. doi:10.1177/0146167201272002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rotter, J. B. (1980). Interpersonal trust, trustworthiness, and gullibility. American Psychologist, 35, 1–7. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.35.1.1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Şahin, F., Gurbuz, S., & Köksal, O. (2014). Cultural intelligence (CQ) in action: the effects of personality and international assignment on the development of CQ. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 39, 152–163. doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2013.11.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saucier, G. (1994). Mini-markers: A brief version of Goldberg’s unipolar big-five markers. Journal of Personality Assessment, 63, 506–516. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa6303_8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Segrera, E., Wolf, A., & Rodgers, L. (2003). States reflecting the big five dimensions. Personality and Individual Differences, 34, 591–603. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(02)00031-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seibert, S. E., & Kraimer, M. L. (2001). The five-factor model of personality and career success. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 58, 1–21. doi:10.1006/jvbe.2000.1757.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R. A., & Khawaja, N. G. (2011). A review of the acculturation experience of international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35, 699–713. doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.08.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, O., Picknell, G., & Hanton, S. (2011). Recall agreement between actual and retrospective reports of competitive anxiety: A comparison of intensity and frequency dimensions. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29, 495–508. doi:10.1080/02640414.2010.541479.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tomlinson, E. C., & Lewicki, R. J. (2006). Managing distrust in intractable conflicts. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 24, 219–228. doi:10.1002/crq.170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward, C., & Kennedy, A. (1999). The measurement of sociocultural adaptation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 23, 659–677. doi:10.1016/S0147-1767(99)00014-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward, C., Leong, C. –. H., & Low, M. (2004). Personality and sojourner adjustment: an exploration of the big five and the cultural fit proposition. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35, 137–151. doi:10.1177/0022022103260719.

  • Ward, C., Wilson, J., & Fischer, R. (2011). Assessing the predictive validity of cultural intelligence over time. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 138–142. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2011.03.032.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whaley, A. L. (1998). Cross-cultural perspective on paranoia: A focus on the Black American experience. Psychiatric Quarterly, 69, 325–343. doi:10.1023/A:1022134231763.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Winefield, H. R., Winefield, A. H., & Tiggemann, M. (1992). Social support and psychological well-being in young adults: the multi-dimensional support scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 58, 198–210. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa5801_17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zickar, M. J., Balzer, W. K., Aziz, S., & Wryobeck, J. M. (2008). The moderating role of social support between role stressors and job attitudes among Roman Catholic priests. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38, 2903–2923. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00418.x.

Download references

Aknowledgments

I would like to express my gratitude to the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (Mednick Memorial Fellowship 2013–2014) and the University of Richmond’s Office of International Education (Special Grant for Research 2014) for their funding to this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA

    Dejun Tony Kong

Authors
  1. Dejun Tony Kong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dejun Tony Kong.

Ethics declarations

All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Conflict of Interest

I declare that I have no conflict of interest.

Funding

This study was funded by the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (Mednick Memorial Fellowship 2013–2014) and the University of Richmond’s Office of International Education (Special Grant for Research 2014).

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kong, D.T. Sojourners’ Ineffective Sociocultural Adaptation: Paranoia as a Joint Function of Distrust toward Host Nationals and Neuroticism. Curr Psychol 36, 540–548 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-016-9441-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-016-9441-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation