The Effect Of Multicultural Personality And Contact On Chinese Domestic Students’ Attitudes Toward International Students In China

Along with the trend of internationalization in higher education worldwide,China has become one of the receiving countries of overseas students.In recent years,negative comments made by Chinese students on social media about international students in China have attracted considerable social attention.The attitudes of students in host countries toward foreign students certainly have an effect on the communication and interaction between the two groups.However,few empirical studies have investigated the relevant factors affecting the attitudes of domestic students toward foreign students in China from a local perspective,while still rooted in the rich findings of contact theory worldwide.Thus,it is difficult to offer targeted suggestions to campus administrators and policy makers in China.Through questionnaires,this study attempts to clarify whether the quality of contact between Chinese students and foreign students,as well as their propensity toward multicultural personality,influence their attitudes toward the foreign students in China as an outgroup.A total of 263 Chinese university students(155 female and 108 male)completed a questionnaire on their contact quality with international students,multicultural personality,and attitudes toward international students.Results indicated that both contact quality and multicultural personality were directly related to attitudes toward international students,but no significant interaction effect of contact quality and multicultural personality was found.The importance of multicultural personality and contact quality in improving intergroup attitudes and promoting intercultural interactions between domestic and international students are discussed.