Promoting intercultural friendship among college students

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the efficacy of a semester-long buddy project in facilitating intercultural friendship development. Results of pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys show significant improvements in knowledge and attitude; correlations between post-project knowledge, attitude, and interest in continued contact; and correlations between interest in continued contact and actual contact in the follow up. The majority of the participants evaluated the project as effective for friendship formation. Of the follow-up respondents, 23% developed friendships with their former buddies. The project serves as an example for assignments with the potential for friendship development, which is essential for optimal intergroup contact.

KEYWORDS:

• Cross-cultural knowledge
• cross-cultural attitude
• intercultural friendship
• buddy project
• contact hypothesis

Notes on contributors

Elisabeth Gareis is a professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Baruch College/CUNY where she teaches courses related to intercultural communication. Her research focus is on intercultural friendship and its role in prejudice reduction and the success of international sojourns and migration.

Jeffrey Goldman is a doctoral student in Hofstra University's Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program. His research interests center on intercultural communication, prejudice reduction, and the mitigation of anger and aggression.

Rebecca Merkin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Baruch College/CUNY where she teaches courses in business, interpersonal, and impression-management communication. Her research focuses on intercultural communication in organizations and social interaction processes such as impression management, identity, and facework communication.

Notes

1. The term “intercultural” was used for processes that focus on interaction (e.g., “intercultural contact,” “intercultural friendship”); the term “cross-cultural” was used for a focus on comparison and difference (e.g., the acquisition of “cross-cultural knowledge” or the assessment of “cross-cultural attitudes”).