Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/12074
Title: Cross-cultural studies among Saudi students in the United Kingdom
Authors: Alyami, Adel
Advisors: Wright, M
Marshal, T
Keywords: Social identity theory;Integration;Marginalization;Assimilation;Separation
Issue Date: 2016
Publisher: Brunel University London
Abstract: This is a multi-method research which consists of four studies. The first examined the influence of cultural values and ethnic identity on collective self-esteem, acculturative stress and attitudes toward seeking psychological help among 117 Saudi students living and studying in the UK, 20 of them were interviewed in the second part of the study in order to examine their acculturation strategies and their attitude toward seeking psychological help. The measures used were: Asian Values Scale (AVS), Male Arab Acculturation Scale (MAAS), Male Arabic Ethnic Identity Measure (MAEIM), Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF), and Collective Self-Esteem (CSE-R). The study sample was divided into two groups: 49 (Junior) newly arrived students and 68 (senior) students who had spent more than one year in the UK. Also, gender and marital status were considered as variables. Interviews were conducted to examine the questionnaire's findings in depth. Results supported the hypothesis that adherence to original cultural values is a positive predictor of collective self-esteem. Also it was found that there was a difference between new and senior students in the scores on the following scales: AVS, CSE, SAFE, ATSPP, and MAAS Int. Results also supported the hypothesis that ethnic identity is a positive predictor of collective self-esteem. However, no relation was observed between adherence to original cultural values and students‟ attitudes towards seeking psychological help, acculturative stress, and communication styles. Also, ethnic identity did not correlate with acculturative stress. Regarding gender and marital status, findings suggest that they are not significant predictors of the research‟s dependent variables. In the third part of the study: the researcher examined and measured the effect of providing counselling sessions for a sample of 12 Saudi students during their stay in the UK using a pre- and post- Culture Shock Questionnaire, and results were compared with a control group of 12 Saudi participants who were not engaged in the counselling sessions. Results were statistically significant for the experimental group which indicated a positive effect of providing counseling services for Saudi students. In the fourth part of the study: the researcher measured the effect of reverse culture shock on students who returned home using a modified version of the Home-comer Culture Shock Scales (HCSS) and inviting view participants to take part in un formal interview. The thesis will be concluded with an explanatory conclusion which might lead to further studies.
Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London
URI: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/12074
Appears in Collections:Psychology
Dept of Life Sciences Theses

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