Beyond Culture Learning Theory: What Can Personality Tell Us About Cultural Competence?

The meta-analytic study examined correlates of cultural competence as assessed by the Sociocultural Adaptation Scale. A total of 17 variables were analyzed from 66 independent studies (N = 10,672). In line with culture learning theory, situational factors such as length of residence (r = .16), cultural knowledge (r = .34), previous cross-cultural experience (r = .17), cultural distance (r = -.33), language proficiency (r = .35), and contact with host nationals (r = .29) were associated with better sociocultural adaptation. The meta-analysis was extended to personality variables, with small to medium effect sizes found for the Big Five traits of agreeableness (r = .16), conscientiousness (r = .22), openness/flexibility (r = .29), extraversion (r = .29), and neuroticism (r = -.32), and large effect sizes found for more narrowly defined, culture-relevant factors such as cultural empathy (r = .49) and cross-cultural self-efficacy (r = .45). The findings indicate that both personal and situational factors relate to cultural competence and that personality variables deserve greater attention in future studies of sociocultural adaptation.