• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.101-126
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• 2003

The purpose of present study is to investigate what is the most important factor among personality, social relation perception, and cultural influence on North Korean Defectors' self-enhancement bias, and how their self-enhancement bias influences on their psychological adaptation in South Korea. To implement this, we compared the self-enhancement bias of South Korean undergraduates and North Korean Defector undergraduates, and social desirability, too. However, there was no significant result. Based on this outcome, we focused on 121 North Korean Defectors' self-enhancement bias mechanism. We found that personality and social relation perception factors influenced significantly on their self- enhancement bias and furthermore their self-enhancement bias affected on their psychological adaptation. In addition to this, we identified sex difference at this mechanism. That is, women showed the same pattern with the existing findings in the study of self-enhancement bias mechanism, but men showed somewhat different pattern.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.351-389
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• 2021

This qualitative study aimed to develop a structural framework that explains the process of psychological adaptation and sequential changes being perceived by Korean people under the COVID-19 Pandemic past year. Setting a tentative analysis frame induced from antecedent literatures about psychological phenomena during the COVID-19 pandemic, the qualitative data were collected from 6 Korean adults by semi structured individual interviews. For the data, content analysis applied from the grounded theory were performed. As a result, the initial framework was extended and revised to describe the psychological phenomena under the pandemic. This paradigm structure includes the process of 'causal factors ⇒ psychological main phenomena ⇒ sequential results' being intervened by personal contextual situations and psychological characteristics, as moderators. The category of causal factors were the COVID-19 pandemic, relevant critical incidents, and social distancing policy. The main phenomena reflected either positive, negative, or complicated experiences. The sequential psychological results included transformation of cognitive system or behavior patterns. Various variables such as psychological sense of community and social responsibility, psychological capability for leisure, and positive psychological capital were found out as moderating factors. In discussion and conclusion, theoretical/practical implications of the results and direction to study in the future were suggested.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.270-282
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• 2013

The present study aims to investigate the effects of bicultural characteristics and social capital on psychological adaptations such as depression and self-esteem. A survey was conducted on 295 foreign-born mothers and their 305 children, ranging from third to sixth grade in elementary school up to seventh to ninth grade in middle school, residing in South Korea's seven major cities, including the city of Seoul. The results of this research are the following: 1) With regards to factors that influence depression among children in a multicultural family, less support from a friend leads to a larger exposure to multicultural programs. Also, the lower the perceived income level of his or her family, greater is the state of the child's depression. 2) Significant factors that influence self-esteem for multicultural children are friends' support, level of mothers' Korean language proficiency, teachers' support, and numbers of multicultural programs. Two implications may be addressed from this study. One is the need to consider bicultural characteristics and social capital to enhance psychological adaptability for children raised in multicultural families. Another is to apply social support characteristics such as friends' and teachers' support to multicultural programs.

• Korean Journal of Health Psychology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.537-555
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, comparisons on the psychological and physical attributes of normal weight, overweight, and obese children were conducted. Second, the influence of BMI and physical fitness interaction on psychological adaptation in children with obesity was explored. Participants were 245 children between the ages of 9 and 13 years (64.5% males). Data on children considered overweight (n = 45) or obese (n = 78) were gathered from the Korean Obese Children's Physical Activity (KOCPA) projects. Normal weight children (n = 122) were recruited from two Seoul elementary schools. Psychological measurements included Weight Efficacy Life-style Questionnaire (WEL), Physical Self-efficacy Scale (PSES), Child Dietary Self-efficacy Scale (CDSS), Self-concept Inventory (SCI), and the Korean version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Intervention TM Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQLTM4.0). BMI (kg/m2) and physical fitness (e.g., aerobic endurance, flexibility) were recorded by experts in exercise physiology. Results showed that children in the high BMI group reported poorer psychological adaption and demonstrated lower physical fitness when compared to the remaining groups. Compared to normal weight children, children considered overweight and obese were found to have lower physical self-efficacy, more negative self-concept, and poorer quality of life. Further, these children also had significantly lower physical fitness levels than their normal weight counterparts. Physical fitness was found to have a significant main effect on weight efficacy (WEL), physical self-efficacy (PSES), and quality of life (PedsQL) in children considered overweight or obese. A significant BMI-physical fitness interaction effect was found for self-concept (SCI) only. Children with higher BMI reported poorer self-concept regardless of fitness level whereas children with lower BMI and higher fitness reported more positive self-concept. Implications and limitations are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.189-224
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• 2010

Nowadays Korean society has a fast growing population of North Korean immigrant youth. Especially, North Korean immigrant youth, who are discontinuing formal education, experience difficulties in social exclusion and adaptation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of adaptation and social support of North Korean immigrant youth discontinuing formal education, and to seek affirmative supporting plans and solutions for their adaptation. The methodology utilized for this study was a case study research. On the basis of the results and categorization, 'a network between overall categories and of early adaptation' was derived. The major findings of this study are summarized as follows. First, the participants of this study experienced major difficulties during 'economical adaptation', and their economical adaptation was strongly interrelated with their 'educational adaptation'. The discontinuing of their education resulting from their fleeing period caused 'academic differential and age disparity.' Thus they could not enroll in the formal education system, and their insufficient educational background resulted in low wages and overwork due to manual labor jobs. Second, participants recognized 'interpersonal relations' as the most essential factor in adaptation, and 'social support' from the interpersonal relations played an important role in adaptation to and comfort in Korean society. 'Interactions with South Koreans' was recognized as a significant resource for gaining informational and appraisal support, but was not activated satisfactorily. On the other hand, interaction with North Korean immigrants was avoided by the reason that 'there's nothing to learn', however emotional support from North Korean immigrants of close relationship played an important role in participants' adaptation, especially in all aspects of psychological adaptation. Third, participants experienced a lot of difficulties and stresses in their 'physical health and psychological adaptation'. Their chronic diseases worsened by remaining untreated, and female perceived symptoms were observed more often than in male. Meanwhile, excessive 'stresses' from the unfamiliar environment of South Korea negatively affected their psychological adaptation. However, they were satisfied with sense of liberty and security from living in a democratic society.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.9 no.10
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• pp.195-202
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• 2019

This study aimed to investigate the effects of positive psychological capital on college life adaptation in freshmen of dental hygiene department of universities in Daegu, Busan and Ulsan. The major variables including hope, resilience, optimism, self-efficacy, academic adaptation, social adaptation, personal emotional adaptation, and university environment adaptation all showed significant positive correlations. Among the influential factors of positive psychological capital on college life adaptation, academic adaptation and social adaptation showed significant differences in optimism(p<.001) and self-efficacy(p<.001), while personal emotional adaptation and university environment adaptation showed significant differences in optimism(p<.001). Therefore, it is necessary to develop intervention programs that can improve positive psychological capital and apply them systematically to the educational field.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.481-503
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• 2012

This study aims to investigate the effects of the Big Five Aspects on psychological adjustment and the practical use of the Big Five Aspects in personality studies. Correlations between psychological adjustment(subjective well-being, life satisfaction, anxiety, depression) and the Big Five Aspects were compared to correlations between the Big Five and psychological adjustment. The results showed distinction between two aspects within each of the Big Five that major personality traits that are actually related to psychological adjustment were found. Multiple regressions were used with subjective well-being, life satisfaction, anxiety, and depression as criterion variables to investigate the effect of the Big Five Aspect on psychological adjustment and the results are as followed. Big Five Aspects accounted for 66.2% of the variance in subjective well-being and withdrawal, compassion, industriousness, enthusiasm, assertiveness, openness significantly predicted subjective well-being. Life satisfaction and depression were significantly predicted by withdrawal and enthusiasm. Withdrawal was the only variable that significantly predicted anxiety. Multiple regression also showed that withdrawal and enthusiasm were the most consistent, accountable variables in predicting overall psychological adjustment. This findings indicate that individual's personality traits played a significant role in predicting subjective well-being and mental health as consistent with past findings, and that the Big Five Aspects can offer more detailed and specific description than the Big Five can. Finally, the research discusses implications, limitations and suggestions for further studies.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.241-261
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• 2022

The present study aims to investigate the effects of information poverty on North Korean refugees' social adaptation to South Korea based on Chatman's Theory of Information Poverty (1996). Based on the Theory of Information Poverty, information poverty consists of four variables: Secrecy, Deception, Risk-taking, and information acceptance in response to situational relevance. And based on the previous studies, adaptation to South Korean life is divided into social adaptation and psychological adaptation. From August 4 to August 30, 2021, after approval by the IRB through the North Korean refugee support organization , surveys were conducted with North Korean refugees who had lived in South Korea for at least one year and were aged 19 or older. The 100 collected valid data were analyzed using frequency analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. Findings of the study indicated that information poverty had significant effects on North Korean refugees' social and psychological adaptation. In particular, the "deception" variable had negative effects on social and psychological adaptation. The study has theoretical implications that it explains North Korean refugees' adaptation to South Korea based on Theory of Information Poverty by defining them as information poor. Above all, it attempts a quantitative approach through operationalization of key concepts unlike previous studies that were conducted with qualitative approaches.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.125-146
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• 2010

A total of 181 college students(61 males 121 females) with at least 5 years of living abroad (Returnee Group) and another group of 181 students (92 males and 93 females) without extended period of living abroad (Comparison Group) participated in the study by completing a questionnaire consisting of Acculturation Index, Multidimensional Acculturation Scale, Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, CES-D, and WHOQOL. The results indicated that the Returnee Group, compared to the Comparison Group, reported as good adjustment toward college life in Korea and positive attitude toward the Korean identity, but a higher level of loneliness. When the Returnee Group were divided into 4 different groups on the basis of acculturation pattern, the Integration and Assimilation Type reported a better adjustment to college life, lower depression and loneliness and better quality of life than the Marginalization Type. The Mariginalization Type appears to be the most vulnerable group, experiencing difficulties in all areas of adjustment, and is clearly in need of interventions. Limitations of the present study and suggestions for future research were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.251-271
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• 2009

This research measured a concept of mobility which is included objective travel behavior as well as psychological and physical mechanism that influenced travel behavior. And then, this research examined the relation between mobility and the quality of life in elderly drivers. In research 1, to evaluate the reliability and validity of "Mobility Questionnaire(MQ)", we tested "MQ" to 207 drivers aged 20 years and older. In research 2, we examined the mobility level of elderly drivers. Also we investigated the influence that mobility of elderly drivers impacts on their quaility of life. we used "MQ", "Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire(PWBQ)" to 91 drivers aged 65 years and older. To factor analysis, MQ consisted of 'Safe Driving Ability(ADA)', 'Travel Increase(TI)', 'Travel Decrease(TD)', 'Social Activity(SA)', and 'Driving Situational Adaptability(DSA)'. The amount and speed of driving of elderly drivers reduced driving behavior than other drivers. Also, elderly drivers negatively assessed their physical abilities for safe driving and felt a low confidence in specific driving situation. On the other hand, elderly drivers take parts in social activity constructively. A review of the relation of mobility and quality of life showed that mobility of elderly drivers had positive correlation with PWB. Specially, 'ADA', 'SA', and 'DSA' had significant correlations with PWB of elderly drivers. The mobility of elderly drivers had an effect on 'Autonomy', 'Environmental mastery', 'Self-acceptance', and 'Positive relations with others'.