The Positive Power of Cultural Intelligence: The Role of Psychological Need Satisfaction in the Well-Being of University Students in Macau

The role that cultural intelligence plays in university students' psychological functioning within multicultural contexts is of great significance. Despite its importance, limited research has been conducted to investigate the relationship between cultural intelligence and university students' well-being. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the association between cultural intelligence and well-being through the lens of self-determination theory. A sample of 571 university students from Macau SAR participated in this study. Both variable- and person-centred approaches were utilised to analyse the data. The results indicate that the students can be classified into three distinct groups regarding their cultural intelligence: low-, average-, and high-level. Notably, these groups exhibited varying levels of well-being and need satisfaction, with the high-level group achieving the most favourable outcomes and the low-level group having the least desirable results. The study's theoretical and practical implications are discussed.