Exploring the role of generative AI in international students’ cross-cultural adaptation: A stimulus-organism-response framework approach

As global student mobility continues to rise, facilitating effective cross-cultural adaptation has become crucial for international education. Drawing upon social support theory, cross-cultural adaptation theory, and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study applies the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework to investigate how generative AI supports international students' adaptation processes. Using survey responses from 439 international students, the findings demonstrate that generative AI enhances cultural understanding, emotional resilience, and intercultural attitudes by offering informational, emotional, and social support. These enhancements significantly improve students' academic, psychological, and social adaptation. The results also highlight how individual differences, such as gender, educational level, duration of study, and language proficiency, influence adaptation outcomes. The study advocates for AI as a key support tool, proposing an "AI-human collaboration" model for personalized assistance. It highlights the need for balanced cognitive-emotional-behavioral development and phased adaptation strategies, offering theoretical and practical insights for universities to enhance cross-cultural support systems.