Sample Abstract
The Development and Validation of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale
Guo-Ming Chen, Ph.D.
Department of Communication Studies
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI 02881, USA
Email: gmchen@uri.edu
The present study developed and assessed reliability and validity of a new instrument, the
Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS). Based on a review of the literature, 44 items thought to
be important for intercultural sensitivity were generated. A sample of 414 college students
rated these items and generated a 24-item final version of the instrument, which contained
five factors. An assessment of concurrent validity from 162 participants indicated that the
ISS was significantly correlated with other related scales, including interaction attentiveness,
impression rewarding, self-esteem, self-monitoring, and perspective taking. In addition, the
predicted validity test from 174 participants showed that individuals with high ISS scores
also scored high in intercultural effectiveness and intercultural communication attitude
scales. Potential limitations and future direction of the study were discussed as well.
Enhancing Global Community, Resilience and Sustainability
Through Intercultural Communication
Call for Papers
The 20th International Conference of the International
Association for Intercultural Communication Studies (IAICS)
University of Rhode Island, Kingston-Providence, RI, USA
Providence, RI, USA, July 31-August 4, 2014
People around the world are interconnected, interdependent and mobile. Scholars and
practitioners are more aware of the necessity to develop strong intercultural relations, based on
mutual understanding in the context of intercultural interaction. Intercultural Communication has
become a dominant paradigm connecting a range of disciplines. Globalization and increased
diversity heighten the risk of communication failures and misunderstandings due to
ethnocentrism, prejudice, sexism and environmental, social, and technological issues. They
include Climate Change; Pollution and Resource Depletion; Global Food and Water Supply;
Impact of Information Technology and Social Media; Political Oppression, Conflict and War;
Poverty; Societal Security and Personal Safety.
Global communication plays a key role in solving these problems. Increasingly we must learn to
rely on each other, build resilience, resolve conflicts peacefully, and strive for social equity by
enhancing intercultural communication.
The conference theme focuses on aspects of interpersonal, inter-group and international
communication. We must address both theoretical and empirical studies, as well as develop new
conceptual and methodological approaches to affirm the centrality of the discipline.
Collaborative research needs to stress communication and embrace synergies by joining efforts
with other disciplines, including environmental and health sciences, business, engineering and
information systems.
Conference Goals
• provide scholars, educators and practitioners from different cultural communities with
opportunities to interact, network and benefit from each other’s research and expertise related
to intercultural communication issues;
• synthesize research perspectives and foster interdisciplinary scholarly dialogue for
developing integrated approaches to complex problems of communication across cultures;
• advance the methodology for intercultural communication research and disseminate practical
findings to facilitate understanding across cultures;
• foster the importance of global cultural awareness and involve educators, business
professionals, students and other stakeholders worldwide in the discourse about diversity and
intercultural communication issues.
The International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies is soliciting submissions
for the 20th International Conference on Cross-Cultural Communication to be held at the
University of Rhode Island, USA, July 31-August 4, 2014. Topic areas are broadly defined as,
but not limited to, the following:
- Advertising and marketing - Intercultural education practices
- Business communication - Intercultural interaction in science
- Climate change and pollution - International journalism
- Conflict, mediation and negotiation - Interpersonal communication and relations
- Corporate culture and management - Linguistics and intercultural communication
- Communication failures - Localization and globalization
- Communication pedagogy - Media and social research
- Crisis/risk communication - Multiple cultures and interculturality
- Critical cultural awareness - New media and visual communication
- Cross-cultural adaptation - Philosophy and human behavior patterns
- Cultural identity - Poverty
- Culture and diplomacy - Power in intercultural communication
- Diversity of languages and cultures - Psychological communication studies
- Ethnocentrism and stereotypes - Public opinions and public policy
- Environmental communication - Public relations
- Ethnic studies - Racial discrimination and ethnic relations
- Gender issues - Resource depletion
- Global community - Religion/spiritual communication
- Global food and water supply - Resilience among cultures
- Group/Organizational communication - Rhetorical communication
- Health communication - Social equity
- Immigration and mobility - Stereotypes and stereotyping
- Intercultural communication competence - Sustainability and globalization
- Intercultural communication in global context - Translation studies
- Intercultural communication and politics - Understanding across cultures
- Intercultural conflict - Verbal and nonverbal communication
Guidelines for Submissions
Categories: Abstract, panel proposals, and workshop proposals may be accepted.
• Abstract, 150-250 words in English, including positions, affiliations, email addresses
and mailing addresses for all authors. See the sample format of the abstract below.
• Panel proposals reflecting the conference theme may be submitted. All panel
proposals should provide a 100-word rationale and a 100-200 word abstract of each
panelist's paper; include affiliation and email addresses for each panelist.
• Workshop proposals relevant to the conference theme may be submitted. Proposals
should be 3-5 pages in length, single spaced.
Deadline: Please submit abstracts and complete panel proposals by February 1, 2014. All
submissions will be peer-reviewed.
Submission to: iaics2014uri@gmail.com
Conference hosts: International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies and
the Harrington School of Communication and Media, University of Rhode Island.
Conference languages: English
Conference website: Harrington.uri.edu/iaics; facebook.com/IAICS; twitter.com/IAICS2014#