The multicultural personality: Does it predict international students’ openness to diversity and adjustment?

This study explored the influence of five multicultural personality traits (i.e., social initiative, emotional stability, open-mindedness, flexibility, and cultural empathy) in predicting international students’ openness to diversity and cross-cultural adjustment. Data from 341 international students indicated that emotional stability and social initiative contributed directly to international students’ adjustment in the United States. In addition to these direct effects, the data also supported indirect effects of open-mindedness, flexibility, and cultural empathy via their influence on openness to diversity. Specifically, students who were more open-minded, flexible, and empathic also demonstrated greater openness to diversity, which in turn led to better adjustment.

► We explored five multicultural personality traits as predictor of openness to diversity and adjustment.
► Higher emotional stability and social initiative predicted better adjustment.
► Greater open-mindedness, flexibility, and cultural empathy predicted more openness to diversity.
► Greater openness to diversity predicted better adjustment.