The Impact of Cross-Cultural Experiences on Worldviews of Chinese International Students

This study compared worldviews of Chinese international students who have been in the United States for 1 year or less, Chinese international students who have been in the United States for 4 years or more, and European American students. Worldview was assessed with the Scale to Assess Worldview (F. A. Ibrahim & H. Kahn, 1987). Results indicated that (a) each group demonstrated its own general patterns of worldviews, (b) Chinese international students with substantial cross-cultural experience believed more in controlling nature and were more future oriented than were European Americans, and (c) newly arrived Chinese international students viewed human relationships as more individualistic than did European American students. Implications for cross-cultural counseling are discussed.