Intercultural sensitivity through short-term study abroad

One of the foremost-cited rationales for study abroad during college is the development of a global perspective and intercultural sensitivity. Although this argument is mentioned frequently in promotional materials for study abroad, it has not yet been backed by research based on the outcomes of students' study abroad experiences. As more students' study abroad and study abroad programing becomes shorter, it is more important than ever to test the claims made by program organizers. The present mixed-methods study examined 12 students' development in intercultural sensitivity over the period of a four-week study abroad program in Salamanca, Spain. Findings demonstrate that students made little changes in intercultural sensitivity as measured by the Intercultural Sensitivity Index and as reported in the qualitative data; however, these methods produced conflicting findings on students' stages of intercultural sensitivity development.