Social Intelligence and Psychological Adjustment as Predictors of University Students’ Intercultural Competence

Abstract

The importance of intercultural competence has been steadily increasing. The need to develop
intercultural capabilities in multicultural countries has become even more pressing than
before. This study aimed to investigate the impact of social intelligence and psychological
adjustment on the intercultural competence of university students. The study employed a
correlational survey design. Data were collected from 476 (Male=244 and Female= 232)
randomly selected Ambo University students. The data were analysed using regression and
multivariate analysis of variance. The regression result showed that class year (β=.809,
p<.001), the number of language students experience (β=.801, p<.001), social intelligence
(β=.553, p<.001), and psychological adjustment (β=.206, p<.001) all had a substantial
contribution to intercultural competence. The finding indicated that 70.4% of the variance in
intercultural competence was accounted for by the linear combination of student’s class year,
the number of languages, social intelligence and psychological adjustment. The result have
also shown that students’ class year accounted for the highest (68.7%) variation in
intercultural competence followed by the number of languages spoken, social intelligence and
psychological adjustment. Furthermore, significant differences in students’ intercultural
competence were observed due to sex and cultural experiences before joining the university.
However, there was no significant mean difference in students’ intercultural competence as a
function of their family structure. Generally, based on the findings of the study, some
practical implications, and future direction for further research are suggested.