Poster #176 - Identity Fusion and Well-Being of International University Students in the United States

• In Event: 2-163 - Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Section - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Integrative Statement

The number of international students studying in the United States has increased dramatically in the past decade, reaching the highest record in 2017 (Institute of International Education, 2017). In addition, the international student population has become increasingly diverse since more Asian students, graduate and doctoral students, and women are coming to the U.S. to study (Walker, 2000). Despite these growing numbers, school administration, faculty, and staff members still lack effective support for international students. International students continue to face various challenges including experiencing perceived discrimination, difficulties in making friends, and lack of social support (Gareis, 2012; Glass & Westmont, 2014; Williams & Johnson, 2011). Thus, it is not surprising that many international students lack a sense of belonging, which in turn impacts their psychological well-being (Atri, Sharma, & Cottrell, 2007; Glass & Westmont, 2014). However, factors that promote international students’ belonging and well-being remain understudied. This study provides new insight on the understudied topic by investigating how much students feel like they align with their social groups using the construct of identity fusion (Swann, Jetten, Gómez, Whitehouse & Bastian, 2012).
Identity fusion is one’s feeling of “alignment” and “oneness” with a group (Swann et al., 2012). Theoretical foundations behind the construct suggest that the strong connection between personal and group identity can encourage connections to ingroup members, relational ties, and sense of belonging. Although some evidence implies that the feeling of connectedness resulting from identity fusion can be taken to an extreme (e.g., outgroup bias, self-sacrifice for the sake of the group), research generally points to its benefits. The aim of this study is to examine the role of identity fusion in the experiences of international students. We focus on fusion with two primary social groups, international students (IS) and domestic students (DS), and explore implications that they each and interactively have on social adjustment.
A sample of 280 international students (74% from China; 34% male; M age = 21.56 years, SD = 3.60) were included, and a 5-point pictorial scale was used to measure identity fusion, with higher scores reflecting greater fusion. Measures of well-being and adjustment were also assessed. Results suggest that, as expected, fusion with IS (M = 3.23, SD = 1.24) was significantly higher than fusion with DS (M = 2.56, SD = 1.10), likely due to students’ similarities in background, shared experience, and campus supports. Results also suggest that fusion with both IS and DS students has wide implications for adjustment. As shown in Table 1, fusion with DS students appears particularly influential. Interactive effects from regression analyses also support the important role that belonging, especially with DS, plays in students’ social adjustment (see Figure 1 for an example).
Results from follow-up surveys (already collected, but currently being cleaned) will allow us to examine longitudinal associations between identity fusion and international students’ adjustment. Broader implications with respect to how higher education administration, faculty, staff, and peers can best promote the success of international students will be discussed.

Authors

• YueYing He, Wake Forest University
  Presenting Author

• Risa Takeuchi, Wake Forest University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lisa Kiang, Wake Forest University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Nelson Brunsting, Wake Forest University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Corinne Zachry, Wake Forest University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Tenisha Tevis, Oregon State University
  Non-Presenting Author