US host nationals' attitudes toward Japanese: the role of communication and relational solidarity in the intergroup contact hypothesis

Abstract

Guided by the intergroup contact hypothesis and intergroup contact theory, the authors examined US Americans' (N=403) communication experiences and relational solidarity with their most frequent Japanese contact and associations with their attitudes toward Japanese as a cultural group. Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) results showed that both communication frequency and quality had an indirect effect through relational solidarity on affective, behavioral, and cognitive attitudes, demonstrating the critical mediating role of relational solidarity. Results also revealed that communication quality was positively and directly associated with the attitudinal measures. Implications of the findings are discussed with respect to prior literature on relational communication in intergroup and intercultural contexts.