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Chinese international students and American domestic students’ intercultural communication in response to group criticism: collective face and discomfort feelings

Yi Zhu (Department of Communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA)
Mary Jiang Bresnahan (Department of Communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA)

International Journal of Conflict Management

ISSN: 1044-4068

Article publication date: 16 December 2021

Issue publication date: 15 March 2022

471

Abstract

Purpose

Group criticism plays an important role in intergroup relations and conflicts, but few studies have related group criticism to intercultural communication contexts. This study aims to explore two cultural groups’ (Chinese international students in the USA and American domestic students) collective face concern as a unique experience in intercultural communication and other psychological responses while encountering group criticism targeting their country image.

Design/methodology/approach

A laboratory experiment was conducted assessing Chinese international students (n = 115) and American domestic students’ (n = 100) responses to a research-confederate critic (whose group membership was manipulated) criticizing participants’ country image such as blaming China and the USA for air pollution or using drugs in the Olympics. analysis of covariance, correlational analysis and regression analysis were adopted to analyze the data.

Findings

Chinese international students reported higher collective face concerns and lower liking toward the critic compared with American students. When criticism specifically targeted participants’ country image, Chinese international students reported more discomfort feelings than American students; and while responding to the critic who identified as participants’ ingroup member, Chinese international students’ discomfort feelings were more susceptible to their collective face than American students in the same condition.

Originality/value

This study illustrates cultural differences in collective face concerns and psychological reactions in responding to criticism targeting a country image in intercultural communication contexts.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The study was supported by funding from the Dissertation Completion Fellowship from the Graduate School and the Department of Communication at Michigan State University.

The authors acknowledge the Office for International Students and Scholars, Office of the Registrar, English Language Center and Chinese students’ communities at Michigan State University for their collaboration and promotion of my project.

Conflict of Interest Declaration: We have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

*This manuscript is based on the corresponding author’s dissertation titled with The patriot and the traitor: Defending your collective face in front of co-nationals and foreigners (2019) (ProQuest Number: 22582958.

Citation

Zhu, Y. and Bresnahan, M.J. (2022), "Chinese international students and American domestic students’ intercultural communication in response to group criticism: collective face and discomfort feelings", International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 311-334. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCMA-03-2021-0048

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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