Abstract

This paper attempted to examine the psychological inner dynamics that the marriage-based female migrants undergo in adapting to Korea. When social support affects happiness and adjusting to life in Korea of the marriage-based female migrants, we investigated whether the paper will have direct effects or indirect effects of gratitude, return and indebtedness. This paper, involving 225 marriage-based female migrants from 5 East Asian countries, was conducted from Nov. 15, 2017, to Jan. 30, 2018 using purposive sampling methods. Structural equation modeling(SEM) using AMOS 22.0 showed the followings. First, it had a significantly direct effect on the gratitude of marriage-based female migrants when support from spouses and friends in their home countries. Second, the support of the in-laws only had a significant effect on the happiness of marriage-based female migrants. Third, support from Korean friends also had a significant effect on marriage-based female migrants’ adaptation to Korean life. Fourth, only when the support of a spouse and friends in their home affected the happiness of marriage-based female migrants, the gratitude and indebtedness showed a significant indirect effect. Fifth, when the support of a spouse and friends in their home affected the happiness and adaptation of Korean life of marriage-based female migrants, it showed a significant mediating effect on the gratitude and return. Finally, the cross-cultural comparison of the 5 East Asian nations showed cultural differences. The paper suggested that there is a difference in perception among marriage-based female migrants depending on the each social support sources in the process of adapting to Korean life.