AWEJ Volume.4 Number.2, 2013 Pp.213-219
Personality Characteristics as Predictors of Affective Availability to Interact Across Cultures
Solodka Anzhelika Konstantinovna
Institute of Pedagogical Problems,
National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the effect of the personality characteristics on the effectiveness of the cross-cultural interaction process. It is specifically focused on exploring the individual’s traits that enhance the effectiveness of cross-cultural understanding and attitudes of students. The intention is to bring together some of the leading theoreticians’ concepts to stimulate new directions in this area and complement this with some conceptual work being conducted by the cross-cultural interaction researchers. The first objective of this study based on theoretical concepts is to introduce the comprehensive model that encompasses the relationships among the individual characteristics and the effectiveness of the cross-cultural interaction. The second one is to evaluate the influence of the contingency fit of teacher-student relations as moderators of cross-cultural training performance. The availability to interact cross-culturally is defined as a multidimensional construct reflecting individual ability to respond to the differences positively and interact efficiently with the others from a variety of backgrounds. It was described in a three-factor model and structured according to the criteria.
Key words: personality characteristics, cross-cultural interaction, availability to interact cross-culturally.