Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Concept Of Self-Disclosure In Initial Interaction Between Strangers In Japan, Hizuru Sugita

Dissertations and Theses

The study of self-disclosure has been developed and elaborated mainly in the United States, and only a few studies have directly examined self-disclosure in the Japanese cultural context. This study was designed to extend the study of self-disclosure to Japanese culture, and using the concept of ingroup and outgroup relationships, examine the relationship between the level of self-disclosure and perceived social attraction in initial interaction between Japanese strangers. Based on the literature on self-disclosure and features of Japanese culture and communication, two hypotheses were constructed:

H1: For the ingroup members, the high discloser will be perceived to be more socially …

Empathy, Holonomic Brain Processes And Patanjali's Sutras: A Study Of Western And Eastern Models Of Perception As They Relate To Empathic Communication, Dana Ralston Mccullough

Dissertations and Theses

Communication scholars, psychologists, teachers and social scientists recognize the importance of empathy to effective communication; however, its essential nature remains a mystery. The nonverbal and subjective aspects of empathic perception make it difficult to study with traditional Western scientific tools. Existing studies of empathic process concentrate primarily on the early or the latter stages. The central steps are seldom addressed. A method is needed for following empathic perception to its core processes and exploring the principles that govern its nature. Systems science offers a viable alternative method of studying empathy through analysis of models, emphasizing principles of interaction and process.

Assessing The Intercultural Sensitivity Of American Expatriates In Kuwait, Deborah Ann Turner

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to apply a developmental model of intercultural sensitivity to a group of people in an intercultural setting and discover whether or not the model is descriptive. The data collected are also used to determine whether or not the coping mechanisms employed by the sojourners are developmental in terms of this model of intercultural sensitivity.

The population for this study was the American community of Kuwait in 1989 and 1990. Fifteen subjects, all of whom had lived in Kuwait at least two years, were interviewed in Kuwait. The model used is Bennett's (1984) Developmental Model …

The Relationship Of Patients' Perceptions Of Physicians' Communication Style To Patient Satisfaction, Lisa Diane Abramson

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between physician communication style and patient satisfaction in the diagnostic medical interview. Patient satisfaction is a critical issue for health care organizations today. Health care organizations are coping with the recruitment and maintenance of patient consumers in a competitive and costly market.

The literature indicates that effective communication between the physician and the patient is important to patient satisfaction. The physician needs to structure the medical visit in order to acquire medical information and, at the same time, invite communication with patients to determine their concerns and needs. Patient satisfaction may ensue if the patient …

Role And Behavior Of Interpreters : An Exploratory Study In American-Chinese Business Negotiations, Zhijian Kevin Yang

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to identify the roles and behaviors of interpreters. The context of this research is American-Chinese business negotiations. The focus of this study is on the roles and behaviors of interpreters by means of revealing the perspectives of interpreters and American negotiators.

Intercultural Communication Competence And Intercultural Adjustment Of Japanese Business Sojourners And Their Spouses, Muneo Hotta

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the relationship among intercultural communication competence, attitudes toward the U.S. culture, and linguistic skills in English for Japanese business sojourners and their spouses living in the United States.

Internal-External Locus Of Control And The Life Experiences Of Soviet Pentecostal Refugees In Portland, Oregon, Amy Roberts

Dissertations and Theses

The construct internal-external locus of control was utilized to examine the Soviet Pentecostal refugees' perception of life experiences in the United States as defined by three dimensions: social, economical, and political. Unlike the majority of immigration research, which focuses on structural variables, this research further addressed the concept of acculturation as a long term process of resettlement. Subjects completed an anonymous forced choice questionnaire consisting of the Rotter (1966) locus of control instrument scale. Pearson Product moment correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the strength of the relationships between the internal-external locus of control scores and five factor analyzed life …

Public Restoration Of The Fallen Religious Leader : A Rhetorical Perspective, David Fleer

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis will consider two men who, when caught in moral dilemmas, cited a particular Biblical narrative in their attempt to receive forgiveness and acceptance from their audiences. Both men were significant religious figures within their respective denominations and both men received public scrutiny following their sinful actions.

Reentry Shock In The Corporate Environment, Steven A. Locke

Dissertations and Theses

While much research and attention have focused on sojourn adjustment to a new culture, very little research has addressed readjustment to the home culture. This research studies the problems of repatriation work adjustment experienced by U.S. corporate employees. This study also.suggests that cultural readjustment is situational and a multifaceted process which is influenced by many different variables. Interviews with 25 corporate repatriated employees were conducted using a 22-question survey instrument. Repatriates were asked to rate their readjustment experiences on a seven-item Likert scale. Respondents also had the opportunity to expand on their answers with open-ended questions. Fourteen variables were examined …