A study assessed the accuracy of public perceptions of public reactions to a politically problematic situation, the return of the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in 1997. The analysis sought to relate differential patterns of communication behavior related to pluralistic ignorance (shared incorrect beliefs about…

Proposes a schemata model for how intercultural communicators structure meaning concerning another culture. Applies the model to a historical case study--the first official trade encounter between members of a trade mission from Great Britain and Emperor Qian Long's court in China. Proposes seven hypotheses for future research. (SR)