The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a study abroad experience on levels of ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness. Now more than ever, universities are being asked to provide concrete evidence about the effectiveness and outcomes of studying abroad. Participation in study abroad programs has continued to substantially increase over the past decade, resulting in a higher demand of such international programs at universities (IIE, 2004). A sample of 76 university students completed the following measures: demographics questionnaire, Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy, and Global-Mindedness Scale. It was hypothesized that students who study abroad would exhibit higher levels of both pre- and post-test ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness. It was also expected that participants with previous experience abroad would have higher levels of both pre- and post-test ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness. Results indicated that levels of ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness did not differ based on the study abroad, diversity class, or control group, but that scores on both measures increased from the pre- to post-test for both the diversity class and the control group. Results for the study abroad group remained the same between the pre- and post-test for both measures. Despite the fact that this study had no significant findings, it has provided groundwork for future research regarding study abroad experiences, ethnocultural empathy, and global-mindedness. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:123456789/194615 |
| Date | 28 June 2011 |
| Creators | Hansen, Rebecca A. |
| Contributors | Bowman, Sharon L. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
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