skill of interacting across cultures in ways that are both effective and communicative
- Requires understanding others’ perceptions and values
Affective sensitivity - to acknowledge and respect cultural differences
Cognitive awareness - self-awareness of one’s own personal cultural identity and understanding
how cultures vary
Behavioral adroitness - message skills, knowledge of appropriate self-disclosure, behavioral
flexibility, interaction management, social skills
Personality Strength
Main personal traits that affect intercultural communication are
- Self-concept: how a person views themselves
- Self-disclosure: the willingness of individuals to appropriately and openly reveal
information about themselves
- Self-monitoring: using social comparison information to control and modify one’s self
presentation and expressive behavior
- Social-relaxation: ability to reveal little anxiety in communication
Communication Skills
● must be competent in verbal and nonverbal behavior and behavior adroitness skills
mentioned above ^
● must be able to deal with diverse people in a variety of situations
Psychological Adjustment
must be able to acclimate to new environments
Cultural Awareness
must understand social customs and system of host culture - how people think and behave
Rhetorical sensitivity - a communicator’s attitude about how to encode messages for the best
receiver understanding and effect
- Noble selves: view themselves as primary basis for communication choices; egotism and
individualism communicating messages with little regard for effect on the receiver
- Rhetorical reflectors: view the desires and needs of the others as the primary basis for
communication choices; display behavior believed to be desirable to the receiver
- Rhetorical sensitives: combine concern for the self with concern for others to encourage
engagement in making decisions as to how to communicate
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ETHICS