Predictive Role of Emotion-Regulation in Acculturative Stress and Spiritual Well-Being of International Students

Abstract

The present study examined the role of cognitive emotion-regulation strategies in acculturative stress and spiritual well-being of international students. Measures of Cognitive Emotion-Regulation, Acculturative Stress, and Spiritual Well-Being (measured in terms of religious wellbeing and existential wellbeing) were administered on a sample of 100 female international students living in Varanasi. The findings showed that maladaptive emotion regulation strategies were associated with greater acculturative stress and lower spiritual well-being while adaptive emotion regulation strategies were associated with lower acculturative stress and higher spiritual well-being. Furthermore, stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to explore the predictive role of emotion regulation on acculturative stress and spiritual well-being. Acculturative stress was positively predicted by ‘rumination’and ‘blaming others’, and negatively predicted by ‘positive refocusing’. The use of ‘acceptance’strategy positively predicted religious well-being while ‘blaming others’negatively predicted religious well-being. Existential well-being was positively predicted by ‘positive reappraisal’and negatively predicted by ‘catastrophizing’and ‘putting into perspective’. Consistent with previous studies in this area, the present findings suggest that emotion regulation may have definite role in intercultural adjustment of international students. Results are discussed in light of existing research and their implications are outlined.