Continental Differences in International Students’ Acculturative Stress: Sources, Social Support, Assertiveness, and Self-Efficacy

The Ghanaian socio-cultural and academic contexts are expected to cause acculturative stress for international students living and studying in Ghanaian universities. This study used an explanatory sequential design to evaluate how assertiveness, self-efficacy, and social support assist these students in coping with the consequences of acculturative stress. The International Students Acculturative Experiences Questionnaire (ISAEQ), consisting of questions relating to demographics, Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS), Student Stress Inventory, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Rathus Assertiveness Schedule, and the modified Index of Social Support, were completed by 256 respondents from two universities in Accra, Ghana. Results showed that health, homesickness, and perceived bias were found to be the three main factors contributing to students’ acculturative stress, while fear and guilt were the least frequent factors. Additionally, there was a significant negative correlation between assertiveness and acculturative stress and between social support and acculturative stress but no significant correlation between self-efficacy and acculturative stress. Significant differences were also found in the acculturative stress levels of international students depending on their continent of origin. We recommend the development of curricula that include specific intercultural courses to enable international students develop cultural literacy and awareness that will aid in lowering acculturative stress levels. Keywords: Acculturation, acculturative stress, international students, Ghana, study abroad