An integrated national image scale: Combining nation, structural relations and emotion dimensions

This study aims to provide an updated, comprehensive and systematic national image scale in a context where the ways states behave and the criteria people use to evaluate foreign nations may have transformed. By integrating concepts and measurements from various social science fields, including international relations, political psychology and communication, we developed a multidimensional conceptual framework and operationalisation of national image, consisting of three dimensions: nation, structural relations and emotion. Taking China's national image as a case study and conducting large-scale cross-national surveys ( N  = 3, 600), our findings demonstrated that the normative sub-dimension of a nation and three components of the emotion dimension have universally influenced the foreign public attitudes towards China. Meanwhile, the impact of the structural relations dimensions on national image is highly context-dependent. Finally, the policy implications are discussed.