From Cultural Intelligence to Adaptation: Unpacking the Mechanisms of Psychological Resilience

Abstract

This study examines how different dimensions of cultural intelligence (CQ) contribute to international students' sociocultural adaptation through the mediating mechanism of psychological resilience in Northeast China. Using a sample of 450 international students across multiple universities in Northeast China, we employed structural equation modeling via PLS-SEM to test the differential effects of four CQ dimensions (metacognitive, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral) on adaptation through psychological resilience. Results revealed that cognitive CQ emerged as the strongest predictor of psychological resilience (beta=0.213, p<0.001), followed by motivational CQ (beta=0.190, p<0.001) and behavioral CQ (beta=0.149, p=0.002), while metacognitive CQ showed a non-significant direct effect (beta=0.068, p=0.179). Psychological resilience significantly mediated the relationships between three CQ dimensions (cognitive, motivational, behavioral) and sociocultural adaptation, explaining 30.4% of the variance in adaptation outcomes. The indirect effect of cognitive CQ through psychological resilience was strongest (beta=0.081, p<0.001). This study advances CQ theory by demonstrating that cultural knowledge (cognitive CQ), rather than motivation, is the primary driver of psychological resilience in cross-cultural adaptation.