Journal of Intercultural Communication Research
Volume 46, Issue 4, 2017, Pages 330-345

Initial Communication with and Attitudes toward International Students: Testing the Mediating Effects of Friendship Formation Variables (Article)

Liu N.* , Zhang Y.B. , Wiebe W.T.
  • a Department of Communication Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
  • b Department of Communication Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
  • c Department of Communication Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States

Abstract

From the theoretical perspectives of intergroup contact, predicted outcome value (POV), and similarity-attraction, this study examined U.S. host nationals’ (N = 342) communicative behaviours in a recent initial encounter with an international student and attitudes toward the student’s cultural group as a whole. Testing of two models indicated the significant sequential mediator effects of perceived similarity-social attraction and POV-social attraction between communication variables (e.g. amount of communication exchange in both models, self-disclosure in model 1, and information seeking in model 2), and intergroup attitudes (e.g. behavioural attitudes). Findings in general demonstrated that contact effects in the intercultural context varied according to specific measures of communication, the mediating mechanisms, and intergroup attitudes. © 2017 World Communication Association.

Author Keywords

Similarity Intercultural friendship predicted outcome value intergroup contact theory social attraction

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85021400046&doi=10.1080%2f17475759.2017.1344999&partnerID=40&md5=cadc463cb724aaf0e89954608397ee57
DOI: 10.1080/17475759.2017.1344999
ISSN: 17475759
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English