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Article
Meta-knowledge of Culture Promotes Cultural Competence
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
  • Angela K.-Y. LEUNG, Singapore Management University
  • Sau-Lai LEE, Hong Kong Baptist University
  • Chi-Yue CHIU, Nanyang Technological University
Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
8-2013
Abstract

A behavioral signature of cross-cultural competence is discriminative use of culturally appropriate behavioral strategies in different cultural contexts. Given the central role communication plays in cross-cultural adjustment and adaptation, the present investigation examines how meta-knowledge of culture—defined as knowledge of what members of a certain culture know—affects culturally competent cross-cultural communication. We reported two studies that examined display of discriminative, culturally sensitive use of cross-cultural communication strategies by bicultural Hong Kong Chinese (Study 1), Chinese students in the United States and European Americans (Study 2). Results showed that individuals formulating a communicative message for a member of a certain culture would discriminatively apply meta-knowledge of the culture. These results suggest that unsuccessful cross-cultural communications may arise not only from the lack of motivation to take the perspective of individuals in a foreign culture, but also from inaccurate meta-knowledge of the foreign culture.

Keywords
  • communication,
  • social cognition
Identifier
10.1177/0022022113493137
Publisher
SAGE
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022113493137
Citation Information
Angela K.-Y. LEUNG, Sau-Lai LEE and Chi-Yue CHIU. "Meta-knowledge of Culture Promotes Cultural Competence" Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology Vol. 44 Iss. 6 (2013) p. 992 - 1006 ISSN: 0022-0221
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kayeeangela_leung/58/