Interpersonal Mindfulness, Intergroup Anxiety, and Intercultural Communication Effectiveness Among International Students Studying in Russia

Oleg Khukhlaev; Irina Novikova; Anna Chernaya

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.841361

Interpersonal Mindfulness, Intergroup Anxiety, and Intercultural Communication Effectiveness Among International Students Studying in Russia

Front Psychol. 2022 May 13:13:841361. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.841361. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Oleg Khukhlaev¹, Irina Novikova², Anna Chernaya³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Multicultural Education, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (MSUPE), Moscow, Russia.
² Department of Psychology and Pedagogics, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia.
³ Developmental Psychology Chair, South Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

Abstract

In modern psychology, mindfulness is an important resource for psychological well-being and intergroup relations, but its role in intercultural communication effectiveness has not been sufficiently studied. This research aims to identify the interrelationship between interpersonal mindfulness, intergroup anxiety, and intercultural communication effectiveness among international students. The sample includes 337 (M _age = 22.93, SD = 3.11) international students (41.5% of females) from different countries studying in Russian Universities. Interpersonal mindfulness was measured using the Interpersonal Mindfulness Scale, Intergroup anxiety using ten items adapted from Stephan and Stephan and used in Gudykunst and Nishida, and Intercultural communication effectiveness using the eight items adapted from Gudykunst's Perceived Effectiveness of Communication measure. Descriptive analysis, correlations, and mediation analyses were used to process the data. The research findings showed that interpersonal mindfulness has both a direct effect on intercultural communication effectiveness and a mediation effect on intercultural communication effectiveness through intergroup anxiety among the international students.

Keywords: Anxiety/Uncertainty Management theory; Interpersonal Mindfulness Scale; Russian universities; intercultural communication; intercultural effectiveness; intergroup anxiety; international students; interpersonal mindfulness.