The Role of Direct and Mediated Interpersonal Communication in Cross-Cultural Adaptation: A Study of Educated and Long-Term Non-Native Residents

• In Event: It's All in the Mix: The Diversity Within Intercultural Communication Scholarship

Abstract

The paper examines non-natives’ participation in direct and mediated interpersonal communication activities in relation to their functional and psychological adaptation to the host environment. The analysis utilizes quantitative and qualitative data obtained from in-depth interviews with relatively long-term and well-educated non-natives. The results affirm the adaptation-facilitating function of dyadic and organizational host communication activities. Co-ethnic/co-national communication activities, both face-to-face and computer-mediated, are found to be insignificant or unhelpful with respect to cross-cultural adaptation.

Authors

• Young Yun Kim, University of Oklahoma

• Satoko Izumi, University of Oklahoma

• Kelly McKay-Semmler, University of Oklahoma