Two Decades of Change in Cultural Values and Economic Development in Eight East Asian and Pacific Island NationsAllen, Michael W.; Sik Hung Ng, ; Ikeda, Ken'Ichi; Jawan, Jayum A.; Anwarul Hasan Sufi, ; Wilson, Marc; Yang, Kuo-Shu
doi: 10.1177/0022022107300273pmid: N/A
In a 1982 publication, Ng et al. surveyed the cultural values of select East Asian and Pacific Island nations. In 2002, this study repeated their work, using the same sampling frame, questionnaire, and collaborators, where possible. The authors also reclassified the 1982 and 2002 survey results using Schwartz's cultural-level value dimensions. Submission versus Dionysian values that differentiated the nations in 1982 continued to do so in 2002. Furthermore, nations that endorsed Mastery (and rejected Harmony) in 1982 experienced greater subsequent economic growth than did the other countries. Moreover, economic development in 1982 predicted ensuing changes in Submission versus Dionysian and Hierarchy versus Egalitarianism values. Richer nations tended to endorse Dionysian, Autonomy, and Egalitarianism, whereas poorer nations tended toward Submission, Embeddedness, and Hierarchy values. Overall, the results support both economic and cultural determinism and imply two opposing directions of cultural change.
Beliefs About the Emotions of Self and Others Among Asian American and Non-Asian American StudentsJohnson, Joel T.
doi: 10.1177/0022022107300274pmid: N/A
Asian American (n =103) and non—Asian American college students (n = 121) estimated their subjective experience and emotional display in 24 hypothetical affect-eliciting situations. Each respondent also made the same estimations for an acquaintance. Both groups overestimated their own subjective experiences relative to those of their acquaintances and also overestimated their own undisplayed affect, suggesting that these basic self—acquaintance differences about emotions transcend cultural heritage. However, Asian Americans estimated that they would experience more socially undesirable affect than non—Asian Americans estimated that they would experience, and Asian Americans also estimated that they would display these less socially desirable emotions more. Asian Americans also scored higher on the Loss of Face Scale and displayed a greater tendency to evaluate their subjective experience from the perspective of another, as assessed by the Social Awareness Inventory. Additional analyses indicated that these measures of individual differences mediated ethnic differences in self-estimations of less socially desirable affect.
Separated by a Common LanguageMarsh, Abigail A.; Elfenbein, Hillary Anger; Ambady, Nalini
doi: 10.1177/0022022107300275pmid: N/A
The expression of nonverbal cues may differ systematically across cultures. Common cues used in distinct ways cross-culturally may be termed nonverbal accents. The data in this study indicate that nonverbal accents can help perceivers to distinguish the nationality of expressers. In Study 1, American participants could determine the nationality of Australian and American adults with above-chance accuracy when viewing their emotional expressions but not neutral expressions. In Study 2, American participants could also determine the nationality of Australians and Americans seen walking or waving in greeting. The accuracy of nationality judgments was also correlated with the extent to which Australian targets were perceived to conform to stereotypes about Australians. It is argued that nonverbal accents may be a mechanism that perceivers can use to apply group stereotypes.
Achievement Emotions in Germany and ChinaFrenzel, Anne C.; Thrash, Todd M.; Pekrun, Reinhard; Goetz, Thomas
doi: 10.1177/0022022107300276pmid: N/A
The aim of this study was to establish the construct comparability and cross-cultural utility of the German and Chinese versions of the Academic Emotions Questionnaire—Mathematics (AEQ-M). Based on data from 312 German and 579 Chinese eighth-grade students, mean and covariance structures analysis revealed that the AEQ-M shows a high degree of measurement invariance across cultures. In addition, the emotions assessed by the AEQ-M showed similar patterns of relationships with self-reports of achievement, parental achievement expectations, and attributions of success and failure across the German and Chinese samples. Confirming earlier findings, Chinese students were found to experience higher levels of anxiety in mathematics. They were also found to experience more enjoyment, pride, and shame, and less anger, than German students. This research supports the use of the AEQ-M in cross-cultural research and provides data about a broader range of achievement emotions than has been investigated previously.
Problem Behavior and Acculturation in Moroccan Immigrant Adolescents in the NetherlandsStevens, Gonneke W.J.M.; Vollebergh, Wilma A.M.; Pels, Trees V.M.; Crijnen, Alfons A.M.
doi: 10.1177/0022022107300277pmid: N/A
The gender specificity of the relation between acculturation and problem behavior in Moroccan immigrant adolescents in the Netherlands was examined. Three previously identified classes of adolescents with similar patterns of acculturation were used: an integrated, separated, and ambivalent class. Girls with an ambivalent acculturation pattern showed more problems than the other girls on parent- and adolescent-reported internalizing and externalizing behavior. For boys, no effects of acculturation on problem behavior were found. The high number of conflicts between parents and their ambivalently acculturated daughters partly explained the relation between acculturation and problem behavior. The findings emphasized that gender and parent—child conflict should be considered when attempting to understand the complex relation between acculturation and problem behavior.
Value Orientations and Environmental Beliefs in Five CountriesDe Groot, Judith I.M.; Steg, Linda
doi: 10.1177/0022022107300278pmid: N/A
Various scholars argue that egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric value orientations are important for understanding environmental beliefs and behavior. However, little empirical evidence has been provided for the distinction between altruistic and biospheric values. This study examines whether this distinction is valid across different countries (i.e., Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden) by using a new value instrument. Relationships between these value orientations and behavior-specific beliefs (i.e., awareness of environmental consequences and personal norms) are investigated to further examine the validity of the value instrument. Results provide support for the generalization of the three-way distinction. Furthermore, value orientations were related to behavior-specific beliefs in all countries. The authors conclude that the distinction between the three value orientations is valid and useful for examining environmentally relevant behavior.
What Defines the Good Person? Cross-Cultural Comparisons of Experts' Models With Lay PrototypesSmith, Kyle D.; Smith, Seyda Türk; Christopher, John Chambers
doi: 10.1177/0022022107300279pmid: N/A
“Good” is a fundamental concept present in all cultures, and experts in values and positive psychology have mapped good's many aspects in human beings. Which aspects do laypersons typically access and consider as they make everyday judgments of goodness? Does the answer vary with culture? To address these questions, the authors compiled prototypes of the good person from laypersons' free-listings in seven cultures and used experts' classifications to content-analyze and compare the prototypes. Benevolence, conformity, and traditionalism dominated the features that laypersons frequently attributed to good people. Other features—competence in particular—varied widely in their accessibility across cultures. These findings depart from those obtained in research using expert-designed self-report inventories, highlighting the need to consider everyday accessibility when comparing cultures' definitions of the good person.
Mapping the Minds of Retirement PlannersHershey, Douglas A.; Henkens, Kène; Van Dalen, Hendrik P.
doi: 10.1177/0022022107300280pmid: N/A
This study explored the psychological mechanisms that underlie the retirement planning and saving tendencies of Dutch and American workers. Participants were 988 Dutch and 429 Americans, 25 to 64 years of age. Analyses were designed to (a) examine the extent to which structural variables were related to planning tendencies and (b) develop culture-specific path analysis models to identify the mechanisms that underlie perceived financial preparedness for retirement. Findings revealed striking differences across countries not only among structural variables predictive of key psychological and retirement planning constructs, but also in the robustness of the path models. These findings suggest policy analysts should take into account both individual and cultural differences in the psychological predispositions of workers when considering pension reforms that stress individual responsibility for planning and saving.