PSYCHOLOGICAL MALADJUSTMENT AMONG ASIAN AND WHITE AMERICAN-COLLEGE STUDENTS - CONTROLLING FOR CONFOUNDS

Differences in psychological maladjustment among foreign-born Asian-, U.S.-born Asian- and White-American college students were examined, after controlling for variables that have been confounded with ethnicity (i.e., demographics, response set, and personality style) in previous studies. Psychological maladjustment was measured in terms of both intrapersonal and interpersonal distress. Results indicated that foreign-born Asian-American students differed from White-American students on levels of social desirability, other-directedness, and extraversion. However, even after controlling for differences on these variables, greater levels of intrapersonal and interpersonal distress were found for foreign-born Asian-American students. The findings suggest (a) that for Asian-Americans there are ethnic differences in psychological maladjustment that covary with generation level, and (b) that these differences cannot be solely attributed to cultural variations in response or personality styles. Implications for counseling with Asian-American students are discussed.