Abstract
The purpose of the present research was to investigate the effects of sociological and psychological factors on international students' preferences for professional helpers. A total of 264 responses was obtained from a questionnaire survey of Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese international students studying at national universities in Japan. The results showed the following: In the academic area, experiences with professional supports were positively related to help-seeking preferences. In the physical and mental areas, concerns about helper responsiveness were negatively related to help-seeking preferences, whereas experiences with professional supports were positively related to preferences in that area. In the interpersonal area, being female and having experiences with professional supports were positively related with help-seeking preferences, whereas concerns about helper responsiveness were negatively related to help-seeking preferences in that area. In the daily life and economic areas, being female and having experiences with professional supports were positively related with help-seeking preferences, whereas living with a spouse and concerns about helper responsiveness were negatively related with preferences in that area. The implications for helping international students were discussed.
