Contacts during a stay abroad and xenophobia – duration of stay, contact quality and intercultural competence as predictors of xenophobia

Abstract

Despite the increasing scientific attention towards competence-related aspects of academic stays abroad, there is a research gap regarding the predictors of xenophobia of international students. We anticipated that longer stays abroad are related to less xenophobia and that this relationship is moderated by intercultural competence and mediated by the quality of contacts with locals. The results indicate that good contacts with locals during a semester abroad can reduce xenophobia. A longer experience abroad however is related to lower levels of xenophobia only if an individual shows a high degree of intercultural competence. Considering these results, we recommend both to prepare students for their stays abroad and also to create structures for incoming students which assist them in making high-quality contacts, such as mentoring-programs.