The present study investigates the mediating role of sense of control in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and flourishing. A cross-sectional study design was employed and a total of 368 international students studying in Turkey consented to voluntarily take part in the study. The participants who were identified using convenience sampling completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Flourishing Scale, and Sense of Control Scale after providing written informed consent. Results indicated that sense of control was positively correlated with fear of COVID-19 and flourishing. It was also observed that a negative correlation was found between the fear of COVID-19 and flourishing. Mediation analysis revealed that sense of control partially mediates the association between fear of COVID-19 and flourishing. The study encourages mental health professionals to consider the role of sense of control in their psychological interventions to reduce fear of COVID-19 and enhance flourishing among international students.

No abstract

Conflict is a part of daily life and it can occur for many reasons. In an intercultural environment, both international and local people can face conflict due to their interactions. Even though there has been an exponential increase in the growth of international students in Turkey in recent years, little is known about their experiences in the realm of intercultural conflicts. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the occurrence of intercultural conflicts among international students at Anadolu University. In particular, the study sought to examine possible intercultural conflicts this group of students might experience, international students’ intercultural awareness, the major sources of the intercultural conflict and how the international students cope with intercultural conflict. A qualitative research method with phenomenological research design was utilized and semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to gather data. The analysis of the study was organized into six themes, namely: awareness, approach, experience, communication style, worldview change, and coping strategy. Except for the last theme, the obtained data aligned with the literature. Findings revealed that the international students experienced intercultural conflicts mainly due to lack of intercultural competence. Based on these findings, recommendations for future studies were suggested.