Levels of Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Sociodemographic Correlates Among Asian International Students in Hungary

Werede, Tareke Gebregergis and Csukonyi, Csilla (2026) Levels of Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Sociodemographic Correlates Among Asian International Students in Hungary. HUNGARIAN STATISTICAL REVIEW, 9 (1). pp. 35-55. ISSN 2630-9130

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Abstract

As international student mobility rises, cross-cultural adaptation has become a central focus of contemporary research on how students adjust to new cultural, academic, and social environments. Consistent with this trend, the present study examined levels of cross-cultural adaptation and their associations with sociodemographic factors among Asian international students in Hungary (N=344). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire assessing cross-cultural adaptation. Frequency distributions were used to determine adaptation levels, and Pearson product–moment correlations and independent-samples t-tests were used to explore relationships between sociodemographic factors and adaptation outcomes. The findings revealed that most students exhibited moderate to fair levels of general adaptation across the psychological, daily life, academic, and sociocultural dimensions. Several sociodemographic variables, including gender, educational status, age, friendship with locals, cultural similarity, and financial support, emerged as significant correlates of cross-cultural adaptation. Specifically, male students, older students, those with local friends, scholarship recipients, and those whose home cultures were more similar to the host culture demonstrated better cross-cultural adaptation. In contrast, length of stay and proficiency in Hungarian and English were not significantly associated with general adaptation. These findings underscore the need for host universities to design and implement comprehensive, evidence-based support systems that address the diverse sociodemographic characteristics of international students to promote successful cross-cultural adaptation. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

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