Personal features of foreign students with a high and low level of self-actualization during socio-psychological adaptation

Internationalization is one of the current directions of education development. Specially organized university work and identification of features of self-actualization in foreign students will contribute to the development of more effective programs of psychological support during socio-psychological adaptation. Aim. The paper aims to identify the personal features of foreign students with a high and low level of self-actualization during socio-psychological adaptation. Materials and methods. 52 foreign students aged from 18 to 32 years studying in London were examined. The study was based on the following methods: Yankovsky questionnaire of adaptation to a new socio-cultural environment, the Rogers and Diamond technique of diagnosis of socio-psychological adaptation, the Jones and Crandall Short Index of self-actualization, etc. The results for interpretation were obtained by statistical analysis (Mann - Whitney criterion) and correlation analysis (Spearman rank correlation coefficient) using SPSS 22.0 statistical software package. Results. Foreign students with a high level of self-actualization experience subjective well-being, and social surrounding is significant to them; however, subjective well-being is reduced when it is impossible to preserve individuality and choose a conformal type of adaptation. Foreign students with a low level of self-actualization have a subjective disadvantage that lessens when maintaining their individuality, pragmatic orientation, the acceptance of others, and self-actualization. Nevertheless, foreign students with a low level of self-actualization demonstrated a correlation between self-actualization and the interactive type of adaptation. Conclusion. The prospects for self-actualization of foreign students with a high and low level of self-actualization and the specifics of their socio-psychological adaptation have been studied.