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The study of communication satisfaction has enjoyed a rich and varied history, having
spanned domains that include health (Gabbard-Alley, 1995; Thompson & Hearn, 1990),
organizational (Clampitt, 1988; Downs, 1994), intergenerational (McCann, Dailey, Giles, &
Ota, 2005; Williams & Giles,1996) and interpersonal (Hecht, 1978; Petronio, Olson, & Dollar,
1988) to name a few. Still, there remains a glaring lacuna in the area of intrapersonal
communication satisfaction research. This omission is somewhat surpris ing given that
communication satisfaction can clearly occur within the mind. To help fill this research void,
scholars have investigated various aspects of intrapersonal communication satisfaction,
though their efforts have typically focused on who influences (or who does not influence) a
person to be satisfied with his or her IIs. For example, research has demonstrated that people
are often satisfied (or unsatisfied) when they imagine conversations with individuals who are
important in their lives (e.g., family members, co-workers, friends, and roommates).
Specifically, high intrapersonal communication satisfaction is associated with having
imagined interactions with romantic partners and friends, while low satisfaction is associated
with family members and college roommates (Honeycutt, 2003; Zagacki, Edwards, &
Honeycutt, 1992). The first purpose of this research is thus to reach beyond the “who” and
probe the various II functions that may predict intrapersonal communication satisfaction.
Recognizing the importance of II research in cross-cultural inquiry, researchers have
also called for II studies to be conducted in non-Western settings (Allen, David, & Kung,
1994). Addressing this call, a second purpose of this research is to see how intrapersonal
communication satisfaction varies among individuals from Japan, Thailand, and the USA.
This aspect of the research is particularly relevant as “Asian cultures” are often grouped
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