Study Abroad Length of Program Influence on Cross-Cultural Adaptability

The literature available on study abroad addresses reasons students chose to study abroad, outcomes of participation in study abroad, and study abroad program characteristics. However, there is a lack of research linking outcomes of study abroad to program characteristics. The present study will add to the literature by providing information about study abroad program characteristics and their relationship to one possible outcome of study abroad, cross-cultural adaptability.

In this study, four factors were used to measure cross-cultural adaptability: (a) emotional resilience, (b) flexibility/openness, (c) perceptual acuity, and (d) personal autonomy. Data were collected using the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI) (Kelley & Meyers, 1995). The target sample for this study was undergraduate college students that have participated in study abroad programs of varying lengths.

The findings showed significant differences in all five areas: emotional resilience, flexibility/openness, perceptual acuity, personal autonomy, and total CCAI score. These findings suggest that researchers need to take a further look at study abroad program characteristics and their relationship to beneficial outcomes.