Cultural Differences in Perception of Family Obligation and Request Compliance in China and the US

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Paper Session: Intercultural Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Early theorists claimed perception of obligation as aversive is a pancultural universal. This study investigates whether obligation is seen as aversive or benevolent by participants in China (n = 205) and the U.S. (n = 164). Compared to Chinese, Americans showed greater benevolent and less aversive perception when the level of obligation is high. Benevolent obligation perception mediated the impact of gratitude and reciprocity on compliance, which are also negatively related to the aversive obligation perception. Participants who perceived obligation as aversive showed less compliance whereas those who saw obligation as benevolent showed more compliance. Both groups complied with the request for high obligation, but only Chinese showed more compliance in the low obligation condition compared to Americans. These results suggest that obligation is not seen as universally aversive. More testing of obligation across cultures needs to be conducted to see whether results of this study find replication and support.

Authors

• Rain Wuyu Liu, Michigan State University

• Mary Jiang Bresnahan, Michigan State U