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Psychological perspectives 67

ciency of the individual but rather as based on the motivations that underlie one
or both interactants in an intercultural encounter.
This approach to intercultural communication acknowledges that because of
the socio-historical context and intergroup relations, people may not be moti-
vated to communicate well. Members of the dominant group may not be tolerant
of the efforts made by members of a less dominant group, and in any case inter-
group relations are salient in most interactions. In addition, in this approach
there is an understanding that some encounters will not proceed smoothly and
these encounters may be better avoided. One weakness of this perspective lies in
the inherent complexities in these theoretical approaches that attempt a compre-
hensive explanation of intercultural encounters. By including so many vari-
ables, it is difficult to tease out when particular elements are salient in the model
and when they are not.

3.5. Communication accommodation theory
Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT: e.g. Gallois et al. 1995; Giles,
Coupland and Coupland 1991) is a theory of both intergroup and interpersonal
communication, invoking the dual importance of both factors in predicting and
understanding intergroup interactions. In our introduction, we noted that CAT
proposes that communication has both interpersonal and intergroup elements. It
is this combination that makes CAT such a powerful model. For example, Jones
et al. (1999) used CAT to explain differences in the communication dynamics
between Australian and Chinese students studying at an Australian university.
Specifically, the cultural differences between these two cultural groups led to
differing communication strategies and behaviours, as well as different percep-
tions of others’ behaviour. In a different context, Watson and Gallois (1998)
were able to explain why independent observers who watched a number of
videotaped interactions between health professionals and their patients rated
some as more satisfying and positive than others.
CAT developed from speech accommodation theory (Giles 1973) and pro-
vides communication scholars with an intergroup theory of intercultural com-
munication. It has been influenced by both social identity theory and ethnoling-
uistic identity theory (see Gallois, Ogay and Giles 2005). CAT recognizes the
importance of power and of macro-level societal factors. The theory posits that
speakers orient towards interlocutors at varying levels of intergroup and inter-
personal salience. Socio-historical factors and the goals of each interactant play
a critical role in the levels of intergroup and interpersonal salience. In an inter-
cultural context, therefore, intergroup rivalry may be a major but not the only in-
fluence on a speaker’s choice of communication behaviours.
The primary thesis of CAT is that individuals interacting with others use
communication strategies to achieve a desired social distance between them-