U-curve, S-curve, or chaos: Chinese international students’ eclectic experience

The U-curve hypothesis is a principal cross-cultural adjustment model used in Intercultural Adaptation Theory. Although this model simplistically observes cross-cultural adjustment, its assumptions lack a theoretical framework to establish causation. Given the rapid evolution of culture and society since the onset of globalisation in the 1990s, a complex paradigm for cross-cultural adjustment is warranted. This study aimed to determine the cross-cultural patterns of Chinese international students’ experiences in the contemporary Australian context. Using qualitative data analysis, this short-term longitudinal study, comprising multiple semi-structured interviews and a writing exercise, recruited 15 Chinese students from an Australian university as participants. The findings of this study highlight that Chinese students’ cross-cultural adaptation experiences are more eclectic and complicated than what was emphasised by the U-curve hypothesis. The study has implications as it suggests that targeted assistance at the individual level, rather than generalised cohort initiation, would provide greater efficacy for these students to make adjustments in their academic and sociocultural spheres. • A critique on the U-curve hypothesis on cross-cultural adaptation. • Analysis of cross-cultural patterns of Chinese international students in Australia. • Chaos theory is used to explore their interaction in new sociocultural environment. • Sociocultural attractors have a binary effect on them and influence their emotions.