An Examination of Acculturative Stress, Interpersonal Social Support, and Use of Online Ethnic Social Groups among Chinese International Students

Survey data collected from Chinese international students attending college in the United States explored relationships between acculturative stress, interpersonal social support, and use of online ethnic social groups. Results suggested that students who were more satisfied with their interpersonal support networks had less perceived discrimination, perceived hatred, and negative feelings caused by change, but not less fear. Among the students who had used online ethnic social groups, those who reported receiving higher amounts of online informational support from those groups experienced lower level of acculturative stress. Students who reported obtaining higher amounts of online emotional support also experienced lower level of acculturative stress associated with perceived hatred. A negative relationship was established between interpersonal support network satisfaction and perceived online information support.