Cultural Differences in the Relationships Between Social Competence and Sense of Belonging: A Multigroup Path Analysis

• In Event: Poster Session 7
  In Poster Session: Human Development 1

Abstract

The goal of this study was to explore cultural differences in the relationships between social competence (including social behaviors, peer acceptance, social self-efficacy) and sense of belonging. This study included 120 fifth-grade students in the United State and 151 fifth-grade students in Taiwan. The results of a multi-group path analysis generally support the cultural difference hypothesis: U.S. students’ peer acceptance was more strongly related to their social behaviors compared to Taiwanese students. In the U.S., aggressive behaviors were negative predictors of students’ peer acceptance. However, relational aggression was a positive predictor of social self-efficacy in Taiwan. The relationship between social self-efficacy and sense of belonging was found significant in Taiwan but not in the U.S.

Authors

• Sangin Shin, The Ohio State University - Columbus

• Tzu-Jung Lin, The Ohio State University