Exploring Cultural Intelligence Relationships with Growth Mindset, Grit, Coping and Academic Stress in the United Arab Emirates
Keywords:
Cultural Intelligence, Multicultural Students, Third Culture Individuals, Academic Success, Grit, Growth Mindset, Positive Psychology, United Arab EmiratesAbstract
Positive psychology seeks to understand what factors contribute to wellbeing and success. Accordingly, the present study explored relationships between cultural intelligence and factors related to academic success, namely growth mindset and grit, as well as academic stress and constructive coping. It also aimed to compare levels of cultural intelligence between third culture individuals (TCI) and non-third culture individuals (non-TCI). Data were collected from 200 multicultural university students in the United Arab Emirates. The results of correlation analysis confirmed a significant positive relationship between cultural intelligence and markers of academic success (grit and growth mindset). Higher levels of cultural intelligence were characteristic of individuals with lower academic stress. Multiple regression analysis showed that only cultural intelligence of three academic success measures including grit and growth mindset, significantly predicted constructive coping. Lastly, results of the independent sample t-test found no significant difference between TCI and non-TCI individuals, shedding new light on the process of acquisition of cultural intelligence. This study is an early contributor addressing the gap in understanding the role of cultural intelligence in multicultural academic settings.
ملخص البحث: يبحث علم النفس الإيجابي في فهم العوامل التي تشارك في النجاح والحياة الطيّبة، وفي هذا السبيل، كشفت هذه الدراسة العلاقة بين الذكاء الثقافي والعوامل المتعلقة بالنجاح الأكاديمي، وعلى وجه التحديد، عقلية النمو والمثابرة، وكذلك الإرهاق الأكاديمي والتأقلم البنّاء. كما استهدفت هذه الدراسة المقارنة بين مستويات الذكاء الثقافي بين أفراد الثقافة الثالثة وآخرين لا ينتمون إلى ذات الثقافة، حيث جُمعت البيانات من مئتي طالب جامعي متعدد الثقافات في الإمارات العربية المتحدة. أكّد تحليل الارتباط علاقة إيجابية ملحوظة بين الذكاء الثقافي وصُنّاع النجاح الأكاديمي؛ أي عقلية النمو والمثابرة. وتبين أن الأشخاص ذوي مستويات الذكاء الاجتماعي الأعلى يتّسمون بإرهاق أكاديميّ أقل، وأظهر تحليل الانحدار المتعدد لثلاثة مقاييس نجاح أكاديمي، بما فيها عقلية النمو والمثابرة، قدرة كبيرة على التأقلم الإيجابي البنّاء. ختاماً، لم تُظهر نتائج (اختبار- ت) المستقل للمقارنة أي اختلاف ملحوظ بين أفراد ينتمون إلى الثقافة الثالثة وآخرين لا ينتمون إليها، ونكون بهذا قد ألقينا الضوء على منظور جديد لطريقة الحصول على الذكاء الثقافي. وتعتبر هذه الدراسة من الدراسات الأولى المعنيّة بردم الفجوة بين فهم دور الذكاء الصناعي في صنع النجاح الأكاديمي متعدد الثقافات والذكاء الثقافي.
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