Self-Efficacy in Intercultural Communication: The Development and Validation of a Sojourners' Scale

Abstract

This study designed and validated an instrument for measuring sojourners' intercultural and everyday communication self-efficacy. Factor analysis of a Likert-type scale completed by Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme respondents (N = 213) identified a unidimensional-factor solution with 34-items loading (α=.95). It revealed negative, positive, and no correlation with existing scales that lent validity to the resulting Sojourner Self-Efficacy in Communication (SSEC) Scale. The authors present both the full scale and a shortened 8-item version (α=.86), and discuss ways the SSEC Scale offers new directions from which to explore issues of intercultural communication and cultural adaptation.

Keywords:

• Sojourning
• Self-Efficacy
• Scale Validation
• Intercultural Communication
• Cultural Adaptation

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jeffery Chaichana Peterson

Jeffery Chaichana Peterson is Assistant Professor at ER Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University

Tema Milstein

Tema Milstein is at the Department of Communication & Journalism, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

Yea-Wen Chen

Yea-Wen Chen is at the School of Communication Studies, Ohio University, Athens

Masato Nakazawa

Masato Nakazawa is at the Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque