Cross-Cultural Adaptation Theory

A communication theory, developed principally by Young Yun Kim, that describes how individuals adjust to an unfamiliar cultural environment over time through cycles of stress, adaptation, and growth. The theory emphasises that adaptation is mediated by host communication competence, interpersonal and mass-media contact, predisposition, and environmental receptivity — and that sharing personal stories and vulnerabilities through self-disclosure is an important mechanism for being accepted into a new cultural group. In accessibility research, CCAT has been applied to frame how cultural outsiders (for example, hearing creators making content for Deaf audiences, or sighted designers working in blind communities) can build credibility and trust, and how digital platforms might support structured, graduated disclosure.