Abstract
Guided by contact theory, we examined the effect of an international student's English language proficiency on American students’ desire for future interaction with international students, online and in-person. We created a fictitious Facebook page of a female Chinese international student and experimentally manipulated her Facebook posts to represent low or high English proficiency. American students (N = 126) in the high proficiency condition reported more identification with the international student, which subsequently led to more desire for future interaction with the student both online and in person. These effects generalized to a desire for interaction with other Chinese students (again, both online and in person). The findings of the study have theoretical and practical implications for online intergroup communication.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 160-168 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | International Journal of Intercultural Relations |
Volume | 77 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 2020 |
Keywords
- Intergroup communication
- Language proficiency
- Online contact theory
- Social media
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business and International Management
- Social Psychology
- Sociology and Political Science