| With the introduction and implementation of “the Belt and Road” initiative,the number of international students coming to China is growing,and their experience in China and intergroup relations cannot be ignored.Meta-stereotypes are an important factor influencing intergroup relations,and changing them can change intergroup relations.A meta-stereotype is an individual’s belief or perception about the stereotypes that members of an out-group hold about the group to which they belong.Research on meta-stereotypes in China has started late,and the subjects of research are mostly school children,migrant children and the elderly,and there are few studies on meta-stereotypes in a cross-cultural context.For Chinese university students,whether they hold positive or negative stereotypes about international students in China,they will affect their individual intercultural communication behaviour.In turn,the intergroup contact experiences of international students in the process of intercultural communication will in turn influence the meta-stereotypes of international students.Based on the above considerations,a total of three studies were conducted.This study combines questionnaires,interviews and experimental methods to reveal the content and differences of meta-stereotypes and stereotypes among international students from "One Belt,One Road" countries and Chinese university students,explore the causes of meta-stereotypes among international students,and reveal the effects of different meta-stereotypes on intergroup relations.The study also investigates the causes of international students’ meta-stereotypes,and reveals the effects of different meta-stereotype activation conditions on international students’ intergroup relationships.Study 1 collected the meta-stereotypes of international students through an open-ended questionnaire,based on which a bipolar adjective scale of meta-stereotypes was formed,and explored the causes of meta-stereotypes through an interview method;Study 2 collected the stereotypes of international students from Chinese university students through an open-ended questionnaire,based on which a bipolar adjective scale of international students’ stereotypes was formed,and compared the differences between international students’ meta-stereotypes and Study 3adopted an experimental method,with the independent variable being meta-stereotypes and the dependent variable being intergroup relations,to explore the influence of different meta-stereotypes on the intergroup relations of international students after activation.The results showed that.(1)the number of positive words in the meta-stereotypes of international students was more than the number of negative words.The meta-stereotypes held by the international student group are generally positive and can be divided into three dimensions: personal traits,interpersonal traits and appearance.(2)Chinese university students’ stereotypes of international students have more positive than negative words,and the overall impression is positive.(3)The activation of negative meta-stereotypes had a significant effect on international students’ attitudes towards out-groups,perceptions of intergroup relationships and interest in interactions.The following conclusions were drawn from the study.(1)The positive features of both meta-stereotypes and stereotypes of international students are more than the negative features,and the international student group as a whole holds positive meta-stereotypes and has a high willingness for intergroup interaction.Gender,country,region and education all affect the meta-stereotypes of international students,while time in China does not affect the meta-stereotypes of international students.(2)Chinese university students have positive stereotypes of international students as a whole.Gender,grade,and the main source of stereotypes affect Chinese university students’ stereotypes,and the accuracy and content consistency of meta-stereotype characteristics and stereotype characteristics of international students coming to China are low.(3)Activating negative meta-stereotypes can have a significant negative impact on international students’ intergroup relationships. |
