Introduction
Emotions and emotionally laden messages are inevitably situated within interpersonal communication, and are especially prevalent in situations where intergroup linguistic and cultural differences are more pronounced. These emotions affect how people perceive and behave toward others, and is capable of impacting the course of communication in a myriad of ways. Our emotional expressions are shaped through our socialization processes, and these emotions are being communicated and displayed to others according to different schemata one may possess (Andersen & Guerrero, 1998). Intercultural encounters may therefore be confusing and often associated with negative emotional reactions due to communication barriers arising from intergroup …show more content…
This display of apprehensiveness, as explained by Stephan et al. (1998), is an example of Intergroup Anxiety (IA) – highly prevalent emotions felt by individuals during social interactions with outgroup members. This model suggests that individuals may experience a broad range of adverse emotions, such as awkwardness, anxiety, apprehension and embarrassment, which may fuel intergroup hostility. Furthermore, according to Dalglish and Chan (2005), individuals who experience lesser intercultural contact are more likely to perceive increased levels of threat during contact with outgroups. Based on the Integrated Threat Theory (ITT) as suggested by Stephan and Stephan (1985), amongst the many threats – realistic threats, symbolic threats, negative stereotypes and IA, IA is the strongest predictor of negative intergroup attitudes (Riek et. al., 2006). ITT posits that negative experiences between groups function as a basis for IA, which results in negative evaluation and the development of prejudice toward the outgroup (Stephan & Stephan, …show more content…
Avoidance prevents communication by reducing chances of encounter or communication. As with my case, this incident of a communication failure resulted in a conscious attempt to avoid further embarrassment and interaction. Verbal communication is substantially reduced when a person wishes to withdraw from communication, by refusing to share information or attempting to end the exchange as soon as possible (Duronto, Nishida & Nakayama,
Emotions and emotionally laden messages are inevitably situated within interpersonal communication, and are especially prevalent in situations where intergroup linguistic and cultural differences are more pronounced. These emotions affect how people perceive and behave toward others, and is capable of impacting the course of communication in a myriad of ways. Our emotional expressions are shaped through our socialization processes, and these emotions are being communicated and displayed to others according to different schemata one may possess (Andersen & Guerrero, 1998). Intercultural encounters may therefore be confusing and often associated with negative emotional reactions due to communication barriers arising from intergroup …show more content…
This display of apprehensiveness, as explained by Stephan et al. (1998), is an example of Intergroup Anxiety (IA) – highly prevalent emotions felt by individuals during social interactions with outgroup members. This model suggests that individuals may experience a broad range of adverse emotions, such as awkwardness, anxiety, apprehension and embarrassment, which may fuel intergroup hostility. Furthermore, according to Dalglish and Chan (2005), individuals who experience lesser intercultural contact are more likely to perceive increased levels of threat during contact with outgroups. Based on the Integrated Threat Theory (ITT) as suggested by Stephan and Stephan (1985), amongst the many threats – realistic threats, symbolic threats, negative stereotypes and IA, IA is the strongest predictor of negative intergroup attitudes (Riek et. al., 2006). ITT posits that negative experiences between groups function as a basis for IA, which results in negative evaluation and the development of prejudice toward the outgroup (Stephan & Stephan, …show more content…
Avoidance prevents communication by reducing chances of encounter or communication. As with my case, this incident of a communication failure resulted in a conscious attempt to avoid further embarrassment and interaction. Verbal communication is substantially reduced when a person wishes to withdraw from communication, by refusing to share information or attempting to end the exchange as soon as possible (Duronto, Nishida & Nakayama,