• (The) Korean Journal of Educational Psychology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.571-596
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• 2018

Objectives: This study investigated the challenges of young cross-cultural individuals (CCIs) through the cultural homelessness (CH) framework. Methods: Through a survey of 151 CCIs, the study empirically examined the relationship between CH and psychological well-being (PWB), as well as the moderating role of emotional clarity (EC). Results: Results indicated that CH was significantly and negatively associated with PWB, especially on the Positive Relations with Others and Environmental Mastery dimensions. Individuals with high CH tended to have less satisfactory relationships and a reduced sense of control over daily life situations, regardless of their EC level. A significant interaction effect between CH and EC was found, specifically in Positive Relations with Others (PR) and Personal Growth (PG). For individuals with high CH, however, satisfactory relationships were dependent on their EC level; they reported more positive relationships with others when their EC levels were high. Interestingly, individuals with high CH were likely to report a high desire for personal growth regardless of their EC level, indicating that they may appear ambitious but may be experiencing unclear emotions. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CH and EC are issues that need to be dealt with simultaneously. As individuals' PWB depends not only on their CH level, but also on their EC, reducing the level of CH should not be the only goal in promoting the well-being of CCIs. Increasing individuals' EC would be just as important, as high EC, along with low CH, predicts important dimensions of PWB.