Family communication patterns, friendship networks, and communication competence of Japanese international college students

Abstract

This study examined the family communication patterns of Japanese international college students in Hawaii in relation to the ethnic composition of the students' friendship networks and perceived levels of communication competence. Ritchie's (1991) Revised Family Communication Patterns instrument was used to measure the family communication patterns of respondents. A 53-item questionnaire was completed by 145 Japanese international college students of various colleges and universities throughout the state of Hawaii. Weak relationships were observed between the family communication patterns of the Japanese students and the ethnic composition of their friendship networks, as well.as their perceived levels of communication competence. More moderate relationships were observed between the perceived levels of communication competence of the students to the ethnic composition of their friendships. This relationship was strengthened when examined under variables such as the length of time spent in the United States and degrees of perceived host receptivity.