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Language and treatment modality are important variables in conducting psychotherapy with students from non-Western countries. Both variables might also have significant impact on therapeutic outcome. Foreign students in America speak at least two languages, and utilizing either their native language or English during sessions might result in different kinds of emotional expressiveness. Indonesian and Malaysian students are from countries where it is uncommon to express emotions publicly. Since language is a part of culture, using English might facilitate a distancing from their cultural context, and might also facilitate more verbal expressions of emotion. On the other hand, using their native language might facilitate a warm and "at home" atmosphere. The purpose of this dissertation is to study the effect of native language and English during interactional group psychotherapy with Indonesian and Malaysian students, and to assess the efficacy of this modality with foreign students. Yalom's interactional group psychotherapy was used with a group of Indonesian, a group of Malaysian, and a group of international students. These three treatment groups were compared to a group of international students who served as a control group. English and the native language were used alternately during the sessions with the Indonesian and Malaysian groups. Only English was used during the sessions with the international student groups. Objective measurements used were the Profile of Mood States, the Personal Orientation Inventory, the Group Environment Scale, the Group Climate Questionnaire, and the Subjective Evaluation Ratings Scale. Subjective measurement was independent judges. Results indicated that Indonesians and Malaysians rated themselves as significantly more active during sessions in English than during sessions in their native language. Raters perceived the Indonesian and Malaysian groups as more cohesive when sessions were conducted in the native language than when conducted in English. This study also indicated that interactional group psychotherapy was effective for foreign students, with some limitations. This treatment method was effective in improving mood states and personality profiles. The method was most effective for the Malaysians. In addition, this study also supported the notion that insight awareness therapy is effective for YAVIS (young, attractive, verbal, intelligent, successful) clients.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This research investigated the relationship between students’ approaches to second language learning and a specific personality variable. The main research instruments were two questionnaires. One was the Language Learning Orientation Questionnaire (LLOQ), which measures two orientations to language learning, Structure Orientation (SO) and Communication Orientation (CO). The other instrument was the Regulatory Focus Theory Questionnaire (RFTQ), which was extensively modified from the USdesigned Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT: Higgins, 1997) for application in the Chinese cultural background, or Confucian Heritage Cultures (CHC), of Taiwan. The study involved 360 students in four high schools in Taiwan. The quantitative data from the questionnaires were supplemented by qualitative data from interviews and non-participant classroom observations. The analysis of LLOQ results demonstrated a clear distinction between SO and CO among the participants. The results of the CHC RFTQ identified three forms of Regulatory Focus: Obligation-Adherence, Social-Security (which are conflated in standard RFT as PRE) and Goal-Achievement (a specific form of PRO). The analysis of the relationship between the LLOQ and RFTQ data indicates there is a correlation between RF and LLO.

Relationship between thought and language -- Whorf's hypothesis of linguistic determinism -- Linguistic relativism -- Sociopolitics, oppression, and language.

The study examines the life and educational experiences of five Generation 1.5 students at California State University, San Bernardino and analyzes how the first cultural socialization affects later English academic language learning. The study used three methods of gathering data: a survey questionnaire, participant-observation, and one-on-one interviews. The study also reviews other case studies that describe life and educational experiences as well as the language and cultural connections of Generation 1.5 students. An analysis of lexical, structural and interactional differences of the spoken and written modes of the English language is also included. The study's findings indicate that learning the vocabulary of the written language was a key factor in being a member of the academic community.