| ABSTRACT | 第1-5页 |
| 摘要 | 第5-9页 |
| Chapter I Introduction | 第9-12页 |
| ·Necessity of the Present Study | 第9页 |
| ·The Purpose of the Present Study | 第9-10页 |
| ·The Significance of the Present Study | 第10页 |
| ·Subsequent Chapters of the Study | 第10-12页 |
| Chapter II Literature Review | 第12-23页 |
| ·Definition of Key Terms | 第12-19页 |
| ·Communication | 第12-13页 |
| ·Culture | 第13-15页 |
| ·Intercultural Communication | 第15-17页 |
| ·Patterns of Thinking | 第17-18页 |
| ·Intercultural Awareness | 第18-19页 |
| ·An Examination of the Research Topic | 第19-20页 |
| ·A Description of Related Empirical Studies | 第20-23页 |
| Chapter III Different Patterns of Thinking between Chinese and Americans | 第23-35页 |
| ·Synthetic and Analytical | 第23-25页 |
| ·Synthetic Thinking | 第23页 |
| ·Analytical Thinking | 第23-24页 |
| ·Analysis | 第24-25页 |
| ·Relational Thinking and Analytical Thinking | 第25-27页 |
| ·Imaginative and Abstractive | 第27-32页 |
| ·Imaginative Thinking | 第27-31页 |
| ·Abstractive Thinking | 第31-32页 |
| ·Past Orientation versus Future Orientation | 第32-35页 |
| ·Chinese Thinking Presents a Characteristic of Past Orientation | 第33页 |
| ·Americans Are Predominantly Future-orientated | 第33-34页 |
| ·A Comparison of the Past and Future Orientation | 第34-35页 |
| Chapter IV Causes of the Differences in Chinese and American Thinking Patterns | 第35-47页 |
| ·Physical Environment | 第35-37页 |
| ·Climate | 第36页 |
| ·Geography | 第36-37页 |
| ·Writing System | 第37-39页 |
| ·History | 第39-41页 |
| ·Life and Production Styles | 第41-43页 |
| ·Philosophy | 第43-47页 |
| ·Confucianism and Taoism | 第43-45页 |
| ·American Philosophy | 第45-47页 |
| Chapter V Influence of Different Patterns of Thinking on Intercultural Communication | 第47-62页 |
| ·Influence on Educational Setting | 第48-52页 |
| ·Communication Styles | 第48-49页 |
| ·Written and Verbal Expression | 第49-52页 |
| ·Influence on Business Setting | 第52-58页 |
| ·Thinking Patterns and Business Negotiation | 第53-56页 |
| ·Thinking Patterns and Cross-Cultural Business Management | 第56-58页 |
| ·Influence on Health Care Setting | 第58-62页 |
| ·Traditional Chinese Medicine and American Medicine | 第58-60页 |
| ·Different Viewpoints on Cause, Treatment, and Prevention of Illness | 第60-62页 |
| Chapter VI Suggestions on How to Improve Intercultural Communication | 第62-69页 |
| ·Improving Intercultural Communication in Educational Setting | 第62-64页 |
| ·Improving the Business Negotiation and Management | 第64-66页 |
| ·Settle the Medicine Conflict and Intercultural Health Care Interaction | 第66-69页 |
| Conclusion | 第69-71页 |
| REFERENCES | 第71-79页 |
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 第79-80页 |
