Social Psychology and Society
2026. Vol. 17, no. 3, 127–144
https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2026170308
ISSN: 2221-1527 / 2311-7052 (online)
The relationship between intercultural competence and prosocial and antisocial creativity in Russian students
Abstract
Context and Relevance. Intercultural competence is one of the key competencies that modern universities cultivate in their students. Its high level is associated not only with more effective intercultural interaction but can also stimulate creativity. However, creativity should be considered not only in terms of originality but also in the context of its social orientation.
Objective. To identify the relationship between intercultural competence and prosocial and antisocial creativity in students at Russian universities.
Materials and methods. The study involved 214 undergraduate and graduate students from Russian universities (M = 21,99; SD = 3,47, 83,65% women). The study questionnaire included the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS), the Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale (MCBS), and the Positive Creativity Engagement Scale. The representation of students from other cultures in the study group and the relationship between educational profile and intercultural communication were also recorded.
Results. The results showed that the motivational and behavioral components of intercultural competence were positively associated with prosocial creativity; the metacognitive component was negatively associated with antisocial creativity in the form of lying, and the behavioral component was negatively associated with antisocial creativity in the form of harm, but at the level of a statistical trend.
Conclusions. Specific relationships between the components of intercultural competence and student creativity were identified. While they can serve as a resource for supporting prosocial creativity, antisocial creativity is not reducible to a competency deficit and requires consideration of additional factors.
General Information
Keywords: intercultural competence, prosocial creativity, antisocial creativity, cultural intelligence, students
Journal rubric: Empirical Research
Article type: scientific article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2026170308
Funding. The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), project number 25-18-00544, the project theme is "Sociocultural and Personal Determinants and Functions of Creativity", https://rscf.ru/project/25-18-00544.
Received 13.07.2026
Revised 30.07.2026
Accepted
Published
For citation: Vyshelesskaya, M.A., Bultseva, M.A. (2026). The relationship between intercultural competence and prosocial and antisocial creativity in Russian students. Social Psychology and Society, 17(3), 127–144. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2026170308
© Vyshelesskaya M.A., Bultseva M.A., 2026
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
References
- Беловол, Е.В., Шкварило, К.А., Хворова, Е.М. (2012). Адаптация опросника «Шкала культурного интеллекта» К. Эрли и С. Анга на русскоязычной выборке. Вестник Российского университета дружбы народов, 4, 5–14.
Belovol, E.V., Shkvarilo, K.A., Hvorova, E.M. (2012). Adaptation of the Cultural Intelligence Scale by C. Earley and S. Ang on a Russian-language sample. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics, 4, 5–14. (In Russ.). - Гриценко, В.В., Хухлаев, О.Е., Павлова, О.С., Ткаченко, Н.В., Усубян, Ш.А., Шорохова, В.А. (2020). Анализ зарубежных эмпирических моделей межкультурной компетентности и методик для ее оценки. Современная зарубежная психология, 9(1), 103–113. https://doi.org/10.17759/jmfp.2020090111
Gritsenko, V.V., Khukhlaev, O.E., Pavlova, O.S., Tkachenko, N.V., Usybyan, S.A., Shorokhova, V.A. (2020). Analysis of foreign empirical models of intercultural competence and methods for its evaluation. Journal of Modern Foreign Psychology, 9(1), 103–113. https://doi.org/10.17759/jmfp.2020090111 (In Russ.). - Гриценко, В.В., Хухлаев, О.Е., Зинурова, Р.И., Константинов, В.В., Кулеш, Е.В., Малышев, И.В., Новикова, И.А., Черная, А.В. (2021). Межкультурная компетентность как предиктор адаптации иностранных студентов. Культурно-историческая психология, 17(1), 102–112. https://doi.org/10.17759/chp.2021170114
Gritsenko, V.V., Khukhlaev, O.E., Zinurova, R.I., Konstantinov, V.V., Kulesh, E.V., Malyshev, I.V., Novikova, I.A., Chernaya, A.V. (2021). Intercultural competence as a predictor of adaptation of foreign students. Cultural-Historical Psychology, 17(1), 102–112. https://doi.org/10.17759/chp.2021170114 (In Russ.). - Ляхова, А.Г., Григорян, Э.К., Бульцева, М.А., Берриос Кальехас, С.А. (2026). Взаимосвязь позитивной креативности и субъективного благополучия: роль базовых потребностей. Национальный психологический журнал, 21(2), 54–65. https://doi.org/10.11621/npj.2026.0204
Lyakhova, A.G., Grigoryan, E.K., Bultseva, M.A., Berrios Callejas, S.A. (2026). The relationship between positive creativity and subjective well-being: The role of basic needs. National Psychological Journal, 21(2), 54–65. https://doi.org/10.11621/npj.2026.0204 (In Russ.). - Мешкова, Н.В., Ениколопов, С.Н., Митина, О.В., Мешков, И.А. (2018). Адаптация опросника «Поведенческие особенности антисоциальной креативности». Психологическая наука и образование, 23(6), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.17759/pse.2018230603
Meshkova, N.V., Enikolopov, S.N., Mitina, O.V., Meshkov, I.A. (2018). Adaptation of the Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale. Psychological Science and Education, 23(6), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.17759/pse.2018230603 (In Russ.). - Хасбулатова, О.А. (2011). Реалии российской гендерной политики в ХХI столетии. Женщина в российском обществе, 3, 4–12.
Khasbulatova, O.A. (2011). Realities of Russian gender policy in the 21st century. Woman in Russian Society, 3, 4–12. (In Russ.). - Хухлаев, О.Е., Гриценко, В.В., Дагбаева, С.Б., Константинов, В.В., Корниенко, Т.В., Кулеш, Е.В., Тудупова, Т.Ц. (2022). Межкультурная компетентность и эффективность межкультурного взаимодействия. Экспериментальная психология, 15(1), 88–102. https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2022150106
Khukhlaev, O.E., Gritsenko, V.V., Dagbaeva, S.B., Konstantinov, V.V., Kornienko, T.V., Kulesh, E.V., Tudupova, T.T. (2022). Intercultural competence and effectiveness of intercultural communication. Experimental Psychology (Russia), 15(1), 88–102. https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2022150106 (In Russ.). - Anawati, D., Craig, A. (2006). Behavioral adaptation within cross-cultural virtual teams. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 49(1), 44–56. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPC.2006.870459
- Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C., Ng, K.Y., Templer, K.J., Tay, C., Chandrasekar, N.A. (2007). Cultural intelligence: Its measurement and effects on cultural judgment and decision making, cultural adaptation and task performance. Management and Organization Review, 3(3), 335–371. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8784.2007.00082.x
- Beghetto, R.A., Anderson, R.C. (2022). Positive creativity is principled creativity. Education Sciences, 12(3), Article 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12030184
- Bogilović, S., Škerlavaj, M. (2016). Metacognitive and motivational cultural intelligence: Superpowers for creativity in a culturally diverse environment. Economic and Business Review, 18(1), 41–58. https://doi.org/10.15458/85451.18
- Bultseva, M.A., Lebedeva, N.M. (2021). The role of intercultural competence in the relationship between intercultural experiences and creativity among students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 82, 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.04.010
- Chao, M.M. (2014). Unforeseen consequences of culture mixing: The role of perceived cultural threat. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(6), 443–447. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414549937
- Chen, X., Leung, A.K.-Y., Yang, D.Y.-J., Chiu, C.-Y., Li, Z.-Q., Cheng, S.Y.Y. (2016). Cultural threats in culturally mixed encounters hamper creative performance for individuals with lower openness to experience. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 47(10), 1321–1334. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022116641513
- Chiu, C.-Y., Kwan, L.Y.-Y. (2010). Culture and creativity: A process model. Management and Organization Review, 6(3), 447–461. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8784.2010.00194.x
- Chua, R.Y.J., Morris, M.W., Mor, S. (2012). Collaborating across cultures: Cultural metacognition and affect-based trust in creative collaboration. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 118(2), 116–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2012.03.009
- Chua, R.Y.J., Ng, K.Y. (2017). Not just how much you know: Interactional effect of cultural knowledge and metacognition on creativity in a global context. Management and Organization Review, 13(2), 281–300. https://doi.org/10.1017/mor.2016.32
- Crisp, R.J., Turner, R.N. (2011). Cognitive adaptation to the experience of social and cultural diversity. Psychological Bulletin, 137(2), 242–266. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021840
- Cropley, D.H., Cropley, A.J., Kaufman, J.C., Runco, M.A. (Eds.). (2010). The dark side of creativity. Cambridge University Press.
- Cropley, D.H., Kaufman, J.C., Cropley, A.J. (2008). Malevolent creativity: A functional model of creativity in terrorism and crime. Creativity Research Journal, 20(2), 105–115. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400410802059424
- De Prada, E., Mareque, M., Pino-Juste, M. (2020). Creativity and intercultural experiences: The impact of university international exchanges. Theories – Research – Applications, 7(2), 321–345. https://doi.org/10.2478/ctra-2020-0017
- Du, X., Zhao, Y., Zhang, K. (2024). The influence of group categorization and common ingroup identity on malevolent creativity, benevolent creativity, and neutral creativity. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 54, Article 101686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2024.101686
- Gallego, A., Pardos-Prado, S. (2014). The big five personality traits and attitudes towards immigrants. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 40(1), 79–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2013.826131
- Gao, Z., Qiao, X., Xu, X., Hao, N. (2022). Darkness within: The internal mechanism between Dark Triad and malevolent creativity. Journal of Intelligence, 10(4), Article 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence10040119
- Glăveanu, V.P. (2010). Paradigms in the study of creativity: Introducing the perspective of cultural psychology. New Ideas in Psychology, 28(1), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2009.07.007
- Glăveanu, V.P. (2013). Rewriting the language of creativity: The Five A’s framework. Review of General Psychology, 17(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029528
- Grant, A.M., Berry, J.W. (2011). The necessity of others is the mother of invention: Intrinsic and prosocial motivations, perspective taking, and creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 54(1), 73–96. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2011.59215085
- Hao, N., Tang, M., Yang, J., Wang, Q., Runco, M.A. (2016). A new tool to measure malevolent creativity: The Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, Article 682. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00682
- Huang, X., Lin, C., Li, X. (2023). How culture influences consumer creativity: A dual perspective of multiculturalism and loose-tight culture. Current Psychology, 42, 28910–28925. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03569-y
- Kharkhurin, A.V. (2010). Bilingual verbal and nonverbal creative behavior. International Journal of Bilingualism, 14(2), 211–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006910363060
- Klak, T., Martin, P. (2003). Do university-sponsored international cultural events help students to appreciate “difference”? International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27(4), 445–465. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(03)00033-6
- Leung, A.K.-Y., Chiu, C.-Y. (2010). Multicultural experience, idea receptiveness, and creativity. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 41(5–6), 723–741. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022110361707
- Leung, A.K.-Y., Maddux, W.W., Galinsky, A.D., Chiu, C.-Y. (2008). Multicultural experience enhances creativity: The when and how. American Psychologist, 63(3), 169–181. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.63.3.169
- Maddux, W.W., Adam, H., Galinsky, A.D. (2010). When in Rome… learn why the Romans do what they do: How multicultural learning experiences facilitate creativity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(6), 731–741. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167210367786
- Maddux, W.W., Galinsky, A.D. (2009). Cultural borders and mental barriers: The relationship between living abroad and creativity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(5), 1047–1061. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014861
- Maddux, W.W., Lu, J.G., Affinito, S.J., Galinsky, A.D. (2021). Multicultural experiences: A systematic review and new theoretical framework. Academy of Management Annals, 15(2), 345–376. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2019.0138
- Matusitz, J. (2012). Relationship between knowledge, stereotyping, and prejudice in intercultural communication. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, 10(1), 89–98. https://doi.org/10.25145/j.pasos.2012.10.009
- Meshkova, N.V., Enikolopov, S.N., Kudryavtsev, V.T., Kravtsov, O.G., Bochkova, M.N., Meshkov, I.A. (2020). Age and gender features of personal predictors of malevolent creativity. Journal of the Higher School of Economics, 17(1), 60–72. https://doi.org/10.17323/1813-8918-2020-1-60-72
- Nguyen, H.T., Nguyen, T.V.T., Le, N.Q., Nguyen, T.T.T., Do, T.D. (2025). Exploring the associations between multicultural experience and creative teaching: The potential roles of cultural intelligence and fear of failure. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 58, Article 101924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2025.101924
- Nguyen, T.L., d’Amato, A.L., Miller, S.R., Hunter, S.T. (2025). Malevolent creativity as parochial altruism? Examining the intergroup bases of new and harmful ideas. Creativity Research Journal, 37(1), 104–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2023.2255011
- Perchtold-Stefan, C.M., Fink, A., Rominger, C., Papousek, I. (2021). Failure to reappraise: Malevolent creativity is linked to revenge ideation and impaired reappraisal inventiveness in the face of stressful, anger-eliciting events. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 34(4), 437–449. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2021.1918682
- Pettigrew, T.F., Tropp, L.R. (2006). A meta-analytic test of intergroup contact theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(5), 751–783. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.5.751
- Spitzberg, B.H., Changnon, G. (2009). Conceptualizing intercultural competence. In D.K. Deardorff (Ed.), The SAGE handbook of intercultural competence (pp. 2–52).
- Sternberg, R.J., Chowkase, A. (2021). When we teach for positive creativity, what exactly do we teach for? Education Sciences, 11(5), Article 237. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11050237
- Straffon, D.A. (2003). Assessing the intercultural sensitivity of high school students attending an international school. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27(4), 487–501. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(03)00035-X
- Tadmor, C.T., Galinsky, A.D., Maddux, W.W. (2012). Getting the most out of living abroad: Biculturalism and integrative complexity as key drivers of creative and professional success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 103(3), 520–542. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029360
- Van Dyne, L., Ang, S., Ng, K.Y., Rockstuhl, T., Tan, M.L., Koh, C. (2012). Sub-dimensions of the four factor model of cultural intelligence: Expanding the conceptualization and measurement of cultural intelligence. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6(4), 295–313. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2012.00429.x
- Wu, H.-Y., Runco, M.A., Wu, C.-H., Liu, M.-J., Cheng, Y.-Y. (2026). Multicultural experience, creativity, and the missing link: Why empathy matters. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 60(2), Article e70102. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.70102
- Yang, B., Li, H. (2026). How multicultural experiences influence malevolent creativity. Psychological Reports, 129(1), 519–539. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941241233208
- Yunlu, D.G., Clapp-Smith, R., Shaffer, M. (2017). Understanding the role of cultural intelligence in individual creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 29(3), 236–243. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2017.1360070
- Zhang, W., Liang, Q., Qiao, X., Hao, N. (2024). Unfairness brings malice: Malevolent creativity is modulated by perceived unfairness of others. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 53, Article 101586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2024.101586
- Zhou, J., Zhao, B., Li, Y. (2024). A network meta-analysis of factors influencing malevolent creativity. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 52(4), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.12940
Information About the Authors
Contribution of the authors
Vyshelesskaya M.A. — research ideas; annotation and manuscript writing; study planning; data collection;
study supervision.
Bultseva M.A. — application of statistical, mathematical, and other methods for data analysis; visualization
of research results; editing and formatting of the manuscript.
All authors participated in the discussion of the results and approved the final text of the manuscript.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Ethics statement
All participants completed the form of informed consent before their involvement.
Metrics
Web Views
Whole time: 4
Previous month: 0
Current month: 4
PDF Downloads
Whole time: 1
Previous month: 0
Current month: 1
Total
Whole time: 5
Previous month: 0
Current month: 5