A meaning-making model of post-migration growth for mainland Chinese university students in Hong Kong. (March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pan, Jia-Yan; Ye, Shengquan; Chen, Chen; Park, Crystal
• Is Part Of: International journal of intercultural relations. Volume 69(2019)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 10
• Publication Date: 2019-03
• Subjects: Meaning-making -- Post-migration growth -- Acculturation -- Chinese -- International students; Intercultural communication -- Periodicals; Cultural relations -- Periodicals; Cross-cultural studies -- Periodicals; Communication interculturelle -- Périodiques; Relations culturelles -- Périodiques; Études transculturelles -- Périodiques; Cross-cultural studies; Cultural relations; Intercultural communication; Periodicals; 303.482
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2018.12.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0147-1767

Abstract

Abstract: Studies of stress-related growth have demonstrated the central role of meaning-making processes in the occurrence of growth following stressful life experiences, but few have examined its role in the context of acculturation. This study developed and tested a meaning-making model of post-migration growth using bootstrap-based mediation analysis with a sample of 489 mainland Chinese university students in Hong Kong. The data were collected through an online cross-sectional survey. The results showed that acculturative stressor was a significant risk factor and that sense-making coping and core belief re-examination acted as significant protective factors for post-migration growth. Sense-making coping and core belief re-examination, in sequence, partially mediated the relationship between acculturative stressor and post-migration growth. This model demonstrates the importance of the cognitive processing of meaning-making in Chinese students' post-migration growth.