Strategies and types of social and psychological adaptation of international students studying in London

¹ Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University (PGUPS), 190031, 9 Moskovsky pr., St. Petersburg, Russia
² South Ural State University (National Research University), 454080, 76 Lenin ave., Chelyabinsk, Russia

^* Corresponding author: lazolvas@mail.ru

Abstract

Results of the research on adaptation of foreign students of the technical and humanitarian directions of training studying in London in the number of 32 people are presented. The strategies of adaptive behaviour of foreign students are defined: positive (types of adaptability, interactivity), conformal (conformal and aloof types) and negative (depressive and nostalgic types of adaptation) – and interrelations of the revealed strategies with life sense, values and personal traits. The positive strategy, including adaptive and interactive types of adaptation, is characterized by 35 interrelations of these types of adaptation with personal and valuable-sense scales that demonstrates the comprehension of their life and orientation at self-actualization values. The nostalgic and depressive types defining the negative strategy of adaptation (37.5 per cent) don not promote socialization, self-actualization and effective social and psychological adaptation of foreign students. The nostalgic type of adaptation has 16 interrelations with research variables, and 13 of them are negative – with Personal traits, 1 positive – with Personal traits (neuroticism) and 2 negative – with Self-actualization and Values (prestige). It is defined that only the foreign students accepting the negative strategy of adaptation have an emotional unbalance and emotional discomfort.