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Communication practices in the US and Syria.
Rebecca S Merkin1, Reem Ramadan2
1Baruch College, CUNY, 1 Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010 USA.
Springerplus
|July 8, 2016
Summary
Syrians exhibit greater empathy and self-efficacy, while U.S. Americans show more social composure and friendships. These cultural communication differences inform successful intercultural interactions.
Area of Science:
- Cross-cultural psychology
- Communication studies
- Sociology
Background:
- Individualism and collectivism theory are foundational in understanding cultural differences.
- Limited research exists on Syrian communication practices compared to Western counterparts.
- Understanding cultural nuances is crucial for effective intercultural communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare communication practices between Syrian and U.S. American students.
- To extend individualism and collectivism theory with Syrian cultural data.
- To identify cultural strengths that facilitate or hinder intercultural relationships.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA).
- Demographically similar student convenience samples (age, SES, education).
- Communication adaptability as a covariate; empathy, social confirmation, social composure, friendships, non-verbal immediacy, social self-efficacy, and general self-efficacy as dependent variables.
Main Results:
- Syrians demonstrated higher empathy, social confirmation, and general self-efficacy.
- U.S. Americans exhibited greater social composure, more friendships, higher non-verbal immediacy, and social self-efficacy.
- Cultural differences were observed across multiple communication and self-efficacy variables.
Conclusions:
- Syrians possess strong self-efficacy for intercultural relationship success.
- U.S. Americans have social assets (warmth, sociability) beneficial for interacting with Syrians.
- Findings provide insights into leveraging cultural strengths for improved intercultural communication.
