“The Effect of Perfectionism and Acculturative Stress on Levels of Depression

Experienced by East Asian International Students”

Toshitaka Hamamura and Philip G. Laird

Matthew Cheatham, Heather

Corley, Sara Greicius, Megan
Lorincz, Anya Work
Introduction
● Purpose: Investigate the effects of acculturative stress and maladaptive perfectionism on
East Asian international students’ susceptibility to depression

● Supports need for study by suggesting that research on the topic needs to be expanded

● Implied theoretical framework of student development theory (of international students),

but never explicitly stated
● 3 hypotheses

● Solid connection between the literature review, the research questions, hypotheses, and
objectives
Research Design
● Quantitative Study
○ Looks at generalizing data from this sample for the East Asian International Students at this
institution
● Correlational Study
○ Looks at the relationship between acculturative stress and perfectionism with students having
depression
● Threats to internal validity
○ Random error
■ Could not control outside factors that could have affected the results of the survey
○ Selection
■ Could not control who would complete the survey
○ Attrition
■ Could not control if people started survey but did not complete it for unknown reasons
Sampling
● Population characteristics
○ 52 East Asian international students; 126 domestic students
○ 28.1% men, 71.9% women
○ 77.7% undergraduate students, 2.2% were graduate students, 10.1% pre-university English
language students, and 10.1% did not specify their status
■ Undergraduate students: 20.1% freshmen, 20.1% sophomores, 25.9% juniors, 28.8%
seniors, and 5.0% 5th-year or higher students
■ Participants were 18 to 46 years of age
■ 75.4% Christian, 9.5% nonreligious, 5.6% Buddhist, 0.6% Muslim, 1.1% affiliated with
another religion, and 7.8% did not specify their religious belief
● Sampling procedures
○ 256 students were solicited
● How did those who responded or participated differ from those who did not? How was this addressed?
○ 69.5% response rate
Measures
● Measures and Variables
○ Almost Perfect Scale Revised (APS-R)
○ Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
○ Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS)
○ Academic Questionnaire
● Instruments
○ Survey Monkey
● Reliability
○ All coefficient alphas fall within 0.8 and 0.95 except for Academic
Questionnaire
Data Analysis Procedures
● Multiple Regression - discrepancy, GPA satisfaction, and acculturative stress scores
● One-way Analysis of Variance - calculate the differences in the scores between East Asian
international students and North American students
● Pearson Product-Moment Correlations - measures of discrepancy, GPA satisfaction, acculturative
stress, and depression for East Asian international students and domestic students
● Validity and reliability of conclusion:
○ Uneven number of domestic and international students
○ Premade assumptions not aligning with results
● Internal validity:
○ Good - need to focus on external validity
Findings
● Conclusion: Researchers felt that their primary hypothesis of “maladaptive perfectionism and
acculturative stress contribute[d] to depression experienced by East Asian international students”
○ Positive relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and depression
○ Negative relationship between GPA satisfaction and discrepancy
○ Acculturative stress scores were not a greater predictor of depression than discrepancy scores
(p. 210)
● Inconsistent with expectations:
○ Levels of discrepancy nor levels of depression were higher among East Asian international
students than among domestic students
○ Discrepancy is not culturally dependent
● Was the study conducted in an objective fashion? Is there any evidence of bias?
○ Researchers appeared to be looking for information consistent with hypotheses in order to
support their initial hypotheses
● Are there limitations to the generalizability (i.e., external validity) of the findings?
○ Can be used at similar institutions, but not all institutions
○ Conducted at one institution
Ethics and Human Subjects Review
● Did the study seem consistent with current ethical standards? Did it pose any threats to research
participants? Were any steps taken to minimize these threats?

○ Yes, obtained IRB

○ Additional information on ethical standards not present

● How was cooperation of research participants obtained? Was there informed consent?

○ Information not available

● Do you consider this a “good” study?

○ Follows procedure and addressed threats to validity.

Reference
Hamamura, T., & Laird, P. G. (2014). The effect of perfectionism and acculturative stress on levels of depression experienced by east
asian international students. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 42(4), 205-217.
doi:10.1002/j.2161-1912.2014.00055.x