Returning home: The role of expectations in re‐entry adaptation

Returning home after a study abroad experience can be challenging. In the current research, we examine the discrepancy between adaptation expectations and experience in a longitudinal sojourner study (N = 1319; M (age) = 17 years; 70% female). Returnees adaptation expectations were assessed prior to returning home, followed by post return measures of adaptation experiences and general well‐being. Overall, returnees reported higher levels of re‐entry adaptation than anticipated. According to the accuracy hypothesis, unmet expectations will be associated with lower well‐being. In contrast, the directional hypothesis suggests that unmet expectations will negatively impact on well‐being, but only if the expectation is undermet. Well‐being on return was regressed on pre‐travel adaptation expectations and adaptation experience on re‐entry. Polynomial regression and Response Surface Analyses were conducted for two outcome variables (stress and satisfaction with life), two types of adaptation (psychological and sociocultural), and at different time points (approximately 2 weeks and 6 months after return). Results consistently show that larger discrepancies were associated with lower well‐being for negative mismatches (when expectations were undermet). For positive mismatches, if adaptation was better than expected, well‐being was higher. Congruence between expectation and experience were not associated with well‐being. Thus, across analyses, results supported a directional hypothesis.