Speaker
Description
This presentation reports a longitudinal study applying the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine Japanese university students’ intercultural behavioral intent during a short-term study-abroad program. Structural equation modeling and repeated-measures ANOVA revealed the predictive roles of personality traits, attitudes, and subjective norms. Findings offer a transferable model for understanding intercultural development and provide pedagogical implications for fostering intercultural competence in Japanese higher education contexts.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
This research investigated three questions:
RQ1: Does participation in an STSA program impact Japanese students’ intercultural behavioral intent?
RQ2: What relationships exist among personality traits, TPB mediators (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control), and intercultural behavioral intent?
RQ3: How can these findings inform pedagogical practices aimed at enhancing intercultural development in Japanese university contexts?
Abstract section 5: References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (2010). Predicting and changing behavior: The reasoned action approach. Psychology Press.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
A longitudinal design was employed with 155 Japanese undergraduates participating in an STSA program. Data were collected at three time points using validated personality and intercultural intent measures. Repeated-measures ANOVA examined changes over time. Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested hypothesized causal pathways among personality traits, TPB mediators, intercultural behavioral intent, and subsequent intercultural behavior.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Results indicated significant increases in intercultural attitudes and perceived behavioral control over time. SEM demonstrated good model fit and partial support for hypothesized pathways. Openness emerged as the strongest personality predictor. Attitudes and subjective norms significantly predicted intercultural behavioral intent, while perceived behavioral control did not. Longitudinal mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects on actual intercultural behavior. These findings highlight the importance of integrating personality and intent measures into STSA research and suggest that educators should foster openness, positive intercultural attitudes, and supportive peer norms to enhance ICC outcomes.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
While short-term study-abroad (STSA) programs are widely promoted to foster intercultural competence (ICC), research has rarely examined the antecedent traits and mediating processes shaping students’ intercultural behavioral intent. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991; Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010), this study integrates the Big Five personality traits as distal predictors within a longitudinal TPB framework. By modeling attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control as mediators, the study responds to calls for theoretically grounded, process-oriented approaches to ICC development in Japanese higher education contexts.
| Title | A TPB Model of Intercultural Intent Abroad |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |