Longitudinal examination of perceived cultural distance, psychological and sociocultural adaptation: A study of postgraduate student adaptation in Shanghai

Since the conclusion of the pandemic, scholars are prompted to reexamine the connection between perceived cultural distance and the cultural adaptation process. However, research in this realm remains limited, especially concerning the intercultural contact by students who move to new cultures for school. Employing a longitudinal design, our study explored how perceived cultural distance predict sociocultural and psychological adaptation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from the outcomes of a cross-lagged model involving 129 Chinese postgraduate students, we observed that perceived cultural distance at Time 2 negatively predicted sociocultural and psychological adaptation at Time 3, indicating greater perceived cultural distance with poorer sociocultural and psychological adaptation at Time 3. Remarkably, our findings supported the perceived cultural distance hypothesis, namely a time-lagged effect between perceived cultural distance and acculturation, a connection that only occurred after COVID restrictions ended. The findings carry significant implications for acculturation during the pandemic period and provide more longitudinal evidence supporting the theory of acculturation.