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Does mindfulness moderate the relationship between anxiety, uncertainty, and intercultural communication effectiveness of the students in Pakistan?

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Abstract

The current study tests key variables of anxiety uncertainty management (AUM), a well-known theory of interpersonal communication, within the context of Pakistan. Previous research has been more concerned with the extension of AUM rather empirically testing its major components; plus, previous studies were conducted primarily in Western cultural contexts. This study proposes a direct effect of anxiety, uncertainty, and mindfulness on intercultural communication effectiveness (ICE). In addition, interaction (moderating) effects are proposed for mindfulness on the relationships between anxiety, uncertainty, and ICE. This study incorporates a quantitative research design to address the relationships between the variables. Data were collected from a survey technique of students (N = 549) of the capital city of Pakistan through convenient sampling. Findings reveal that anxiety and uncertainty have a negative influence on ICE. However, mindfulness has a positive impact on ICE. Furthermore, mindfulness significantly moderated the relationship between anxiety, uncertainty, and ICE. Even though this study considered a new cultural context (Pakistan), still the findings were in accordance with the predictions of AUM. This study empirically validates the theoretical framework and axioms of AUM within the context of Pakistan. This study is useful for the policy makers of Pakistan to develop new policies regarding internationals. Furthermore, they can train their nationals how to manage anxiety and uncertainty and to be mindful during intercultural interactions to avoid problems and confusions among people.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mass Communication, School of Social Sciences and Humanities (S3H), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Umar Nadeem

  2. College of Media, Communication, and Information, University of Colorado Boulder, 270 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

    Matthew A. Koschmann

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  1. Muhammad Umar Nadeem
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  2. Matthew A. Koschmann
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Correspondence to Muhammad Umar Nadeem.

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All participants provided informed consent prior to completing this study.

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This research was in accordance with the ethical standards of the Department of Mass Communication, School of Social Sciences and Humanities (S3H), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST).

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Nadeem, M.U., Koschmann, M.A. Does mindfulness moderate the relationship between anxiety, uncertainty, and intercultural communication effectiveness of the students in Pakistan?. Curr Psychol 42, 432–444 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01429-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01429-9

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