Ge Gao’s research while affiliated with San Jose State University and other places

describe the rules and norms which guide Chinese communication / [define] communication and conceptualizing the process of communication in Chinese culture / examine the characteristics of Chinese communication: implicit communication, listening-centeredness, politeness, the insider effect on communication, and face-directed communication strategies / conclude by suggesting directions for future research / demonstrate the inter-relationship between culture and communication and how Chinese communication processes only can be understood and interpreted in their cultural context / [argue] that the primary functions of communication in Chinese culture are to maintain existing relationships among individuals, to reinforce role and status differences, and to preserve harmony in the group (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

The influence of stage of romantic relationship (i.e., “casual,” “serious,” and “engaged” romantic relationships) and culture on attributional confidence, perceived similarity, and network involvement was investigated using the dyad as the unit of analysis. Data were collected from 90 romantic couples in China and 77 romantic couples in the United States. Multivariate analysis of variance using both summation (i.e., average of partners’ scores) and dispersion (i.e., differences between partners' scores) scores revealed that stage of relationship influenced social networks. Culture influenced high‐context attributional confidence, perceived similarity, and social reaction.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between strength of ethnic identity and perceived group vitality. Mexican Americans in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area perceived English andAnglos as more vital than Spanish and Mexican Americans. Ethnic identity had a significant influence on perceived ingroup vitality but not on perceived outgroup vitality. Respondents who strongly identified their ethnic group perceived their group's vitality to be higher than did those who identified less strongly with their ethnic group. First language did not influence vitality perceptons.

This study examined the influence of individualism-collectivism on communication in ingroup and outgroup relationships. Differences were predicted in ingroup and outgroup communication in collectivistic cultures. It was also hypothesized that self-monitoring and predicted-outcome value (POV) of the relationships also affect communication processes in these relationships. Data were collected in Hong Kong and Japan (collectivistic) and in Australia and the United States (individualistic). Results supported the prediction regarding the influence of cultural variability on ingroup and outgroup communication, as well as those regarding the influence of self-monitoring and POV.

The objective of this study was to test Ting-Toomey's (1988a) theory on conflict face-negotiation. More specifically, the study examined the relationship between face maintenance dimensions and conflict styles in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States. The results were summarized as follows: (1) Cultural variability of individualism-collectivism influences two face maintenance dimensions—self-face concern and other-face concern; (2) Cultural variability influences conflict styles, with U.S. members using a higher degree of dominating conflict style than their Japanese and Korean cohorts, and the Chinese and Taiwanese members using a higher degree of obliging and avoiding conflict management styles than their U.S. counterparts; (3) Overall, face maintenance dimensions served as better predictors to conflict styles rather than conflict styles to face dimensions; (4) Self-face maintenance was associated strongly with dominating conflict style, and other-face maintenance was associated strongly with avoiding, integrating, and compromising styles of conflict management. Directions for future testing of the conflict face-negotiation theory were proffered.

Gudykunst and Hammer generated a communication-based theory to explain intercultural adaptation. Two assumptions of the theory are empirically testable: Assumption 3-the reduction of cognitive uncertainty and affective anxiety exert independent influences on adaptation; and Assumption 4-the reduction of uncertainty and anxiety are necessary and sufficient conditions for adaptation. The purpose of the present paper is to present a preliminary test of these two assumptions by examining a portion of Gudykunst and Hammer's theory. Three alternative models involving the effect of social contact, cultural similarity, and cultural knowledge on uncertainty, anxiety, and adaptation were tested. The data support Gudykunst and Hammer's assumptions; that is, the effect of social contact, cultural similarity, and cultural knowledge on adaptation is mediated through the reduction of uncertainty and anxiety, and uncertainty and anxiety reduction are independent. The implications of these findings for intercultural training are outlined.

This study examined the goodness of fit of three alternative models of self‐monitoring to data collected in five cultures (two individualistic and three collectivistic cultures) and the influence of individualism‐collectivism on self‐monitoring. It was predicted that the 18‐item unidimensional self‐monitoring scale is the best fit among the three and individualistic cultures exhibit higher self‐monitoring than collectivistic cultures. Data were collected from respondents in the United States, Australia (individualistic cultures) and Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan (collectivistic cultures). Results supported the predictions. The data suggest, however, that it is necessary to develop self‐monitoring measures which are sensitive across cultures.