Gallois, Cindy

Cindy Gallois (US, 1945), Professor Emeritus at the University of Queensland (Australia), is a key figure in the development of the fields of interpersonal and intercultural communication.

The development of Communication Accommodation Theory is one of her most recognized contributions to the field. Through this theory, she studied face-to-face interaction, intercultural communication and relationships as well as doctor-patient interaction and communication in health environments. With a psychology background, her career has been deeply influenced by socio-psychological perspectives. She is a prolific author, having published more than 200 books, papers and book chapters throughout her career.

She has been president of the International Communication Association (ICA) and member of numerous associations in the field. Her career has been rewarded with some of the most prestigious awards in the discipline: she is a Fellow of the ICA, a Fellow of the International Association of Language and Social Psychology, and has received the John Turner Medal, awarded by the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists, to recognize her pivotal contributions to the field. Cindy Gallois is a committed supporter of collective work and research in academic environments and she believes that communication is our most important quality as human beings. She considers that a detailed study of both communication and language requires broad and interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological perspectives.

Selected publications:

• Gallois, C., Giles, H., Jones, E., Cargile, A.C. & Ota, H. (1995). Accommodating intercultural encounters. Elaborations and extensions. In R.L. Wiseman (Ed.), Intercultural communication theory. International and intercultural communication annual (pp. 115-147). Sage.
• Gallois, C. (2003). Reconciliation through communication in intercultural encounters: Potential or peril? Journal of Communication, 53(1), 5-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2003.tb03001.x
• Gallois, C. & Giles, H. (2015). Communication accommodation theory. In K. Tracy, C. Ilie & T. Sandel (Eds.), The international encyclopedia of language and social interaction. John Wiley & Sons.
• Jones, E., Gallois, C., Callan, V. & Barker, M. (1995). Language and power in an academic context. The effects of status, ethnicity and sex. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 14(4), 434-461.