Page 108 - Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Communication Competence Language and Communication Problems Practical Solutions

86 David Matsumoto, Seung Hee Yoo and Jeffrey A. LeRoux

and a variety of adjustment measures at the beginning and end of the academic
year (September and May). ER was highly and significantly correlated with all
adjustment variables. Individuals with higher ER scores had less anxiety, culture
shock, depression, homesickness, and hopelessness, and more contentment and
satisfaction with life. Moreover each of these relationships were observed when
the ICAPS ER scale at time 1 was correlated with these adjustment variables at
time 2, 9 months later, and when demographic variables were controlled. The cor-
relations with time 2 adjustment variables also survived when the same variable’s
time 1 levels were controlled. Individual differences in ER, therefore, predicted
adjustment concurrently, and considerably well into the future as well (Table 1).

Table 1. Correlations between ICAPS emotion regulation scale and adjustment vari-
ables in international students assessed at the beginning (time 1) and end
(time 2) of school year
Correlations
Adjustment variable Time 1 Sig Time 2 Sig
Beck anxiety inventory –0.39 ** –0.34 *
Contentment –0.31 * –0.41 *

Culture shock –0.66 *** –0.71 ***
Beck depression inventory –0.40 ** –0.33 *
Homesickness –0.24 * –0.37 *
Beck hopelessness inventory –0.45 *** –0.41 *
Satisfaction with life scale –0.40 ** –0.41 *

*p < 0.05 **p < 0.01 ***p < 0.001

Many of the findings we have reported have been replicated by other labora-
tories (Savicki et al. 2004). Thus we are very confident about the ability of ER
to predict a variety of intercultural adjustment outcomes. Still there are many
questions that remain. For instance, because ER is a skill, we believe that it can
be improved with training. It is clear that typical teaching about culture that oc-
curs in didactic classrooms does not affect ER (Matsumoto 2001, 2002). But it
is also clear that training seminars that are based on experiential learning about
culture can improve people’s ER scores (Matsumoto et al. 2001, 2003a).
Because the ICAPS reliably and validly assesses individual differences in
ER related to intercultural adjustment, there is great potential for the ICAPS to
be used as a diagnostic tool. Training programs specially designed to improve
ER can aid those with low ER scores in improving their potential for intercul-
tural adjustment. At the same time, individuals with high ER skills can look to