Academy Fellow

Obituary

Professor Cynthia (Cindy) Gallois, FASSA (2000) and Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Queensland, passed away peacefully at the Wesley Hospital, Brisbane, on 8 June 2023, at the age of 78. 

I wish to begin with my personal story about Cindy, a dear friend and research colleague. Fortuitously, in February 1979 Cindy and I both joined the University of Queensland as Lecturers in the then Department of Psychology. In a casual meeting in the corridor one day, we began talking about our shared research interests in culture and communication. What was intended to be a five-minute chat that day, became a three-hour conversation that eventually led to a deep friendship and a 25-year research partnership that included co-authoring numerous books, book chapters, journal articles and conference papers. Cindy was the most influential person in shaping my academic life and career. Early in my career she brought to our research partnership the theoretical and methodological rigour that I was lacking. During her University of Florida PhD program in psychology in the United States, Cindy completed numerous courses in theory development and research methods, courses I had missed in my narrow research training that was typical of the times with a more “British style” PhD in psychology from ANU. Her skills and confidence were infectious. As I and many of her research colleagues found, she was highly ambitious in the grants targeted and the publication outlets sought for our research findings. 

Over her research career, with a wide range of Australian and international colleagues, Cindy’s scholarship was diverse and far reaching. She published prolifically, with 15 books and monographs and over 200 book chapters and papers to her name. She is best known as a world leader in inter-group communication research in intercultural, organizational and health contexts. Over 20 years, together with her numerous Australian and international colleagues, she contributed to the development and extension of Communication Accommodation Theory, the leading theory of intergroup communication. She provided many of the landmark contributions towards establishing an innovative and inter-group perspective into organizational and health communication, as well as inter-ethnic and inter-cultural communication. In 1998 she became the first psychologist designated Editor of Human Communication Research. Her supervision of 43 PhD students across markedly different areas of social psychology was further evidence of her expertise in language attitudes and communication. Her achievements were acknowledged at the 13th. International Conference of Social Psychology in The Netherlands, where she was honoured with a Festschrift titled, ‘The Social Meanings of Language, Dialect and Accent: International Perspectives on Speech Styles’. The dedication in this commemorative book celebrates ‘her enormous legacy in language attitudes research and theory and for her many other areas of invaluable language and social psychological enquiry’. 

Other research awards include Fellowships of the Society of Experimental Social Psychologists (elected 1997), the International Communication Association (ICA, 2007), the International Academy of Intercultural Research (Charter Fellow, 1997), and the International Association of Language and Social Psychology (IALSP, 2012). In terms of leadership, Cindy was President of International Communication Association (2001-2002), the International Association of Language and Social Psychology (IALSP, 2002-2004), and the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP, 1997-1999). In 2019, SASP awarded her the John Turner Medal for sustained contributions to the field of social psychology. 

In addition, her contributions as an academic leader at the University of Queensland were outstanding and highly impactful. At the University, Cindy served as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (2008-09, Deputy Executive Dean 2006-07), and was Associate Dean (Research) from 2003-07. Following her term as President of the University of Queensland Academic Board (1998-2000; Deputy President 1997), Cindy became founding Director of the Centre for Social Research in Communication from 2002-05.

To those who knew her, Cindy was highly intelligent, exceedingly generous with her time and ideas, and always modest about her own achievements. She forged research partnerships with individuals from across many disciplines, not only psychology and communication, but also in health, business, linguistics, and cross-cultural studies. In any academic or research forum she listened intently but was never shy in giving her views in ways that were supportive, insightful, and motivating, especially to her PhD and other students. Even in recent years with her health failing due to cancer, she continued to be very clear about the future direction of the field of the social psychology of language and communication. 

Her friends and colleagues will miss Cindy’s sharp mind and her collaborative spirit. She supported and mentored the development of a highly impressive group of researchers who, following in Cindy’s path, have in turn become leaders in an extensive range of academic disciplines. Finally, in preparing this brief overview, I acknowledge the contributions made by many others in highlighting key features of Cindy’s personal life and career, including those of her fellow researchers specifically Professors Bernadette Watson, Howard Giles, and Deborah Terry, and the memories from Cindy’s husband and co-researcher Dr Jeffery Pittam, who lovingly cared for and supported her.

*Obituary written by Professor Victor Callan, AM, FASSA, the University of Queensland 

• Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, 2010-
• Professor of Psychology, The University of Queensland, 1996-2010
• Acting Executive Dean, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, 2008-2009 (Deputy Executive Dean, 2006-2007; Associate Dean Research, 2003-2007)
• Founding Director, Centre for Social Research in Communication, The University of Queensland, 2002-2005
• President, Academic Board, The University of Queensland, 1998-2000
• President, International Communication Association, 2001-2002
• Past President, Finance Chair, 2002-2005
• President, International Association of Language and Social Psychology, 2002-2004
• President, Society of Australasian Social Psychologists, 1997-1999.

Fellow, Society of Experimental Social Psychologists, from 1997

Charter Fellow, International Academy of Intercultural Relations, from 1998

Fellow, International Communication Association, from 2007

Fellow, International Association of Language and Social Psychology, from 2012

Selected Books

Terry, Deborah J., Gallois, Cynthia and McCamish, Malcolm (2015). The theory of reasoned action: Its application to AIDS-preventive behaviour. Taylor and Francis. 

Liu, Shuang, Volcic, Zala and Gallois, Cindy (2011). Introducing intercultural communication: Global cultures and contexts. London, England, U.K.: Sage.

Gallois, C. and Callan, V. J. (1997). Communication and Culture: A Guide for Practice. London, England: Wiley.

Selected Book chapters

Baker, Susan C., Watson, Bernadette M. and Gallois, Cindy (2020). Social psychology and language. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology. (pp. 1-15) Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Gallois, C., Ogay, T. and Giles, H. (2005). Communication accommodation theory: A look back and a look ahead. Theorizing about intercultural communication. (pp. 121-148) edited by W. Gudykunst. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage.

Pittam, J. F. and Gallois, C. (2002). The language of fear: The communication of intergroup attitudes in conversations about HIV and AIDS. The verbal communication of emotions: Interdisciplinary perspectives. (pp. 209-229) edited by S. Fussell. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Selected Journal articles

Liu, Shuang, Dane, Sharon, Gallois, Cindy, Haslam, Catherine and Nghi Tran, Tran Le (2020). The dynamics of acculturation among older immigrants in Australia. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 51 (6), 424-441.

Gallois, Cindy, Watson, Bernadette M. and Giles, Howard (2018). Intergroup communication: identities and effective interactions. Journal of Communication, 68 (2), 309-317. 

Willmot, Lindy, White, Benjamin, Gallois, Cindy, Parker, Malcolm, Graves, Nicholas, Winch, Sarah, Callaway, Leonie Kaye, Shepherd, Nicole and Close, Eliana (2016). Reasons doctors provide futile treatment at the end of life: A qualitative study. Journal of Medical Ethics, 42 (8), 496-503. 

Watson, Bernadette M., Heatley, Michelle L., Kruske, Sue G. and Gallois, Cindy (2012). An empirical investigation into beliefs about collaborative practice among maternity care providers. Australian Health Review, 36 (4), 466-470.

Bordia, Prashant, Jones, Elizabeth, Gallois, Cindy, Callan, Victor J. and Difonzo, Nicholas (2006). Management are aliens! Rumours and stress during organizational change. Group & Organization Management, 31 (5), 601-621.