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Category: Project

Description: This study aimed to test if where you come from and where move to impact how you cope with stress. We tested this possible idea on newcomers crossing the rice-wheat regions in China. New evidence suggests wheat agriculture foster changing the environment (primary coping), while rice farming cultures foster fitting into the environment (secondary coping). Using two longitudinal studies on newcomers in both rice and wheat universities, we hypothesized that newcomers from the rice-south in a wheat site would use more primary coping achieve higher adaptation (Study 1). In contrast wheat people moving to a rice site would find secondary coping an effective strategy for buffering stress (Study 2). Results indicated for rice students at the wheat site, secondary is damaging and attenuated the stress-adaptation relationship. In contrast in study 2, the reverse was found as wheat students at a rice site secondary coping buffered negative the effects of stress on sociocultural adaptation. This study supports evidence building on how ecological factors can impact how individuals cope with the acculturative stress of moving to a new environment.