A cross-cultural comparison of Thai and US American rhetorical sensitivity: implications for intercultural communication effectiveness

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a cross-cultural study on rhetorical sensitivity between 316 Thai and 182 US American students. The study employs the notion of rhetorical sensitivity as a potential tool for the investigation of intercultural communication effectiveness. Rhetorical sensitivity emphasizes relational over pragmatic goal-seeking, a potentially useful feature for studying high-context, collective cultures. Since the highest Thai cultural values are those associated with social harmony, The Kingdom of Thailand provides a unique laboratory for the search of behaviors associated with effective intercultural communication. Based on an analysis of Thai and US American cultural values, several hypotheses were tested. Contrary to the prediction, US Americans displayed significantly higher levels of rhetorical sensitivity than the Thais. Consistent with the hypotheses, the Thais exhibited significantly higher levels of rhetorical reflection than did the US Americans, and the US Americans presented significantly higher levels of noble self than the Thais. Various methodological improvements to address more precisely variations in communication behavior attributable to cultural value differences are suggested. The study concludes with an extensive discussion of the findings and their implications for the investigation and development of effective intercultural communication behaviors.