Cultural similarities and differences in seeking social support as a means of coping: A comparison of european americans and chinese and an evaluation of the mediating effects of self-construal

Journal of International and Intercultural Communication

Volumn 2, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 208-239

  Mortenson, Steven T ^a   Burleson, Brant R ^a   Feng, Bo ^a   Liu, Meina ^a  

^a PURDUE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Collectivism; Cultural Values; Emotional Support; Independent Self Construal; Individualism; Interdependent Self Construal

Indexed keywords

EID: 85011552754     PISSN: 17513057     EISSN: 17513065     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/17513050902985331     Document Type: Article

References (71)

1. Baron, R. M., and Kenny, D. A., 1986. The moderator-mediator distinction in social psychological research:Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51:1173–1182.
2. Bresnahan, M. J., Levine, T. R., Shearman, S. M., Lee, S. Y., Park, C. Y., and Kiyomiya, T., 2005. A multimethod-multitrait validity assessment of self-construal in Japan, Korea, and the United States. Human Communication Research, 31:33–59.
3. Brown, J. D., and Kobayashi, C., 2002. Self-enhancement in Japan and America. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 5:145–168.
4. Burleson, B. R., 2003. The experience and effects of emotional support:What the study of cultural and gender differences can tell us about close relationships, emotion, and interpersonal communication. Personal Relationships, 10:1–23.
5. Burleson, B. R., and MacGeorge, E. L., 2002. “ Supportive communication ”. In Handbook of interpersonal communication, 3rd ed., Edited by:Knapp, M. L., and Daly, J. A., 374–424. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage.
6. Burleson, B. R., and Mortenson, S. R., 2003. Explaining cultural differences in evaluations of emotional support behaviors:Exploring the mediating influences of value systems and interaction goals. Communication Research, 30:113–146.
7. Chang, E. C., 2001. “ A look at the coping strategies and styles of Asian Americans:Similar and different? ”. In Coping with stress:Effective people and processes, Edited by:Snyder, C. R., 222–239. New York:Oxford University Press.
8. Cortina, L. M., and Wasti, S. A., 2005. Profiles in coping:Responses to sexual harassment across persons, organizations, and cultures. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90:182–192.
9. Cross, S. E., and Gore, J. S., 2004. “ The relational self-construal and closeness ”. In Handbook of closeness and intimacy, Edited by:Mashek, D. J., and Aron, A., 229–245. Mahwah, NJ:Erlbaum.
10. Cross, S. E., and Madson, L., 1997a. Elaboration of models of the self. Psychological Bulletin, 122:51–55.
11. Cross, S. E., and Madson, L., 1997b. Models of the self:Self-construals and gender. Psychological Bulletin, 122:5–37.
12. Cunningham, M. R., and Barbee, A. P., 2000. “ Social support ”. In Close relationships:A sourcebook, Edited by:Hendrick, C., and Hendrick, S. S., 273–285. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage.
13. Cutrona, C. E., Cohen, B. B., and Igram, S., 1990. Contextual determinants of the perceived helpfulness of helping behaviors. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 7:553–562.
14. Day, A. L., and Livingstone, H. A., 2003. Gender differences in perceptions of stressors and utilization of social support among university students. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 35:73–83.
15. DeVellis, R. F., 2003. Scale development:Theory and applications, 2nd ed., Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage.
16. Endler, N. S., and Parker, J. D., 1990. Multidimensional assessment of coping:A critical evaluation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58:844–854.
17. Felsten, G., 1998. Gender and coping:Use of distinct strategies and associations with stress and depression. Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 11:289–309.
18. Feng, B., and Burleson, B. R., 2006. “ Exploring the support-seeking process across cultures:Toward an integrated analysis of similarities and differences ”. In The same and different:Acknowledging the diversity within and between cultural groups, Edited by:Orbe, M. P., Allen, B. J., and Flores, L. A., 243–266. Washington, DC:National Communication Association.
19. Fischer, A. H., and Manstead, A. S. R., 2000. “ The relation between gender and emotions in different cultures ”. In Gender and emotion:Social psychological perspectives, Edited by:Fischer, A. H., 71–94. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
20. Fiske, S. T., and Taylor, S. E., 2007. Social cognition:From brains to culture, Boston:McGraw-Hill.
21. Folkman, S., and Lazarus, R. S., 1988. Manual for the ways of coping questionnaire, Palo Alto, CA:Consulting Psychologist Press.
22. Gao, G., 1996. “ Self and OTHER:A Chinese perspective on interpersonal relationships ”. In Communication in personal relationships across cultures, Edited by:Gudykunst, W. B., Ting-Toomey, S., and Nishida, T., 81–101. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage.
23. Goldsmith, D. J., 2000. Soliciting advice:The role of sequential placement in mitigating face threat. Communication Monographs, 67:1–19.
24. Goldsmith, D. J., and Parks, M., 1990. “ Communicative strategies for managing the risks of seeking social support ”. In Personal relationships and social support, Edited by:Duck, S., 104–121. London:Sage.
25. Gudykunst, W. B., and Lee, C. M., 2003. Assessing the validity of self construal scales:A response to Levine et al. Human Communication Research, 29:253–274.
26. Gudykunst, W. B., and Matsumoto, Y., 1996. “ Cross-cultural variability of communication in personal relationships ”. In Communication in personal relationships across cultures, Edited by:Gudykunst, W. B., Ting-Toomey, S., and Nishida, T., 19–56. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage.
27. Gudykunst, W. B., Matsumoto, Y., Ting-Toomey, S., Nishida, T., Kim, K., and Heyman, S., 1996. The influence of cultural individualism-collectivism, self construals, and individual values on communication styles across cultures. Human Communication Research, 22:510–543.
28. Hofstede, G., 1980. Culture's consequences:International differences in work-related values, Beverly Hills, CA:Sage.
29. Hofstede, G., 1991. Cultures and organizations:Software of the mind, London:McGraw-Hill.
30. Jung, J., 1995. Ethnic group and gender differences in the relationship between personality and coping. Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 8:113–126.
31. Kagitcibasi, C., 1996. Family and human development across cultures:A view from the other side, Mahwah, NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
32. Kim, M. S., 2005. “ Culture-based conversational constraints theory:Individual- and cultural-level analyses ”. In Theorizing about intercultural communication, Edited by:Gudykunst, W. B., 93–117. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage.
33. Kim, M. S., Hunter, J. E., Miyahara, A., Horvath, A. M., Bresnahan, M., and Yoon, H. J., 1996. Individual- vs. cultural-level dimensions of individualism and collectivism:Effects on preferred conversational styles. Communication Monographs, 63:28–49.
34. Kim, M. S., and Raja, N. S., 2003. When validity testing lacks validity:Comment on Levine et al. Human Communication Research, 29:275–290.
35. Kim, Y., Deci, E. L., and Zuckerman, M., 2002. The development of the self-regulation of withholding negative emotions questionnaire. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 62:316–336.
36. Kobayashi, C., and Brown, J. D., 2003. Self-esteem and self-enhancement in Japan and America. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 34:567–580.
37. Lazarus, R. S., 1999. Stress and emotion:A new synthesis, New York:Springer.
38. Leung, T., and Kim, M. S., 1997. A revised self-construal scale, Honolulu:University of Hawaii at Manoa.
39. Levine, T. R., Bresnahan, M. J., Park, H. S., Lapinski, M. K., Wittenbaum, G. M., Shearman, S. M., 2003. Self-construal scales lack validity. Human Communication Research, 29:210–252.
40. MacGeorge, E. L., Graves, A. R., Feng, B., Gillihan, S. J., and Burleson, B. R., 2004. The myth of gender cultures:Similarities outweigh differences in men's and women's provision of and responses to supportive communication. Sex Roles, 50:143–175.
41. MacKinnon, D. P., and Dwyer, J. H., 1993. Estimating mediated effects in prevention studies. Evaluation Review, 17:144–158.
42. MacKinnon, D. P., Lockwood, C. M., and Williams, J., 2004. Confidence limits for the indirect effect:Distribution of the product and resampling methods. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39:99–128.
43. Markus, H. R., and Kitayama, S., 1991. Culture and the self:Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98:224–253.
44. Markus, H. R., and Kitayama, S., 1994. “ The cultural construction of self and emotion:Implications for social behavior ”. In Culture, self, and emotion, Edited by:Kitayama, S., and Markus, H. M., 89–130. Washington, DC:American Psychological Association.
45. Mortenson, S. T., 2005. Toward communication values in friendship:Self-construal and mediated differences in sex and culture. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 34:64–84.
46. Mortenson, S. T., Liu, M., Burleson, B. R., and Liu, Y., 2006. A fluency of feeling:Exploring cultural and individual differences (and similarities) related to skilled emotional support. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 37:366–385.
47. Oetzel, J. G., Ting-Toomey, S., Masumoto, T., Yokochi, Y., Pan, X., Takai, J., 2001. Face and facework in conflict:A cross-cultural comparison of China, Germany, Japan, and the United States. Communication Monographs, 68:235–258.
48. Pines, A. P., and Zaidman, N., 2003. Gender, culture, and social support:A male-female, Israeli Jewish-Arab comparison. Sex Roles, 49:571–586.
49. Preacher, K. J., and Hayes, A. F., 2004. SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instrumentsm, and Computers, 36:717–731.
50. Preacher, K. J., and Hayes, A. F., 2008. “ Contemporary approaches to assessing mediation in communication research ”. In The Sage sourcebook of advanced data analysis methods for communication research, Edited by:Hayes, A. F., Slater, M. D., and Snyder, L. B., 13–54. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage.
51. Preacher, K. J., Rucker, D. D., and Hayes, A. F., 2007. Assessing moderated mediation hypotheses:Theory, methods, and prescriptions. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 42:185–227.
52. Reevy, G. M., and Maslach, C., 2001. Use of social support:Gender and personality differences. Sex Roles, 44:437–459.
53. Ryan, R. M., La Guardia, J. G., Solky-Butzel, J., Chirkov, V., and Kim, Y., 2005. On the interpersonal regulation of emotions:Emotional reliance across gender, relationships, and cultures. Personal Relationships, 12:145–163.
54. Sedikides, C., and Brewer, M. B., 2001. “ Individual self, relational self, and collective self:Partners, opponents, or strangers? ”. In Individual self, relational self, collective self, Edited by:Sedikides, C., and Brewer, M. B., 1–4. Philadelphia:Psychology Press.
55. Sedikides, C., Gaertner, L., and Toguchi, Y., 2003. Pancultural self-enhancement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84:60–79.
56. Shams, M., 2001. Social support, loneliness, and friendship preference among British Asian and non-Asian adolescents. Social Behavior and Personality, 29:399–404.
57. Shin, J. Y., 2002. Social support for families of children with mental retardation:Comparison between Korea and the United States. Mental Retardation, 40:103–118.
58. Singelis, T. M., and Brown, W. J., 1995. Culture, self, and collectivist communication:Linking culture to individual behavior. Human Communication Research, 21:354–389.
59. Tannen, D., 1990. You just don't understand Women and men in conversation, New York:William Morrow.
60. Taylor, S. E., Sherman, D. K., Kim, H. S., Jarcho, J., Takagi, K., and Dunagan, M. S., 2004. Culture and social support:Who seeks it and why?. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87:354–362.
61. Thoits, P. A., 1986. Social support as coping assistance. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 54:416–423.
62. Ting-Toomey, S., 2005. “ The matrix of face:An updated face-negotiation theory ”. In Theorizing about intercultural communication, Edited by:Gudykunst, W. B., 71–92. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage Publications.
63. Ting-Toomey, S., Oetzel, J. G., and Yee-Jung, K., 2001. Self-construal types and conflict management styles. Communication Reports, 14:87–104.
64. Ting-Toomey, S., Yee-Jung, K. K., Shapiro, R. B., Garcia, W., Wright, T. J., and Oetzel, J. G., 2000. Ethnic/cultural identity salience and conflict styles in four US ethnic groups. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 24:47–81.
65. Triandis, H. C., 1988. “ Collectivism vs. individualism:A reconceptualization of a basic concept in cross-cultural psychology ”. In Cross-cultural studies of personality, attitudes and cognition, Edited by:Verma, G. K., and Bagely, C., 60–95. London:Macmillan.
66. Triandis, H. C., 1994. Culture and social behavior, New York:McGraw-Hill.
67. Van de Vijver, F., & Leung, K., 1997. Methods and data analysis of comparative research. In J. W., Berry, Y. H., Poortinga, & J., Pandey Handbook of cross-cultural psychology, vol. 1:Theory and method 2nd ed., pp. 257–300. Boston:Allyn & Bacon.
68. Waldron, V. R., and Di Mare, L., 1998. “ Gender as a culturally determined construct:Communication styles in Japan and the United States ”. In Sex differences and similarities in communication, Edited by:Canary, D. J., and Dindia, K., 179–201. Mahwah, NJ:Erlbaum.
69. Wang, C. L., Bristol, T., Mowen, J. C., and Chakraborty, G., 2000. Alternative modes of self-construal:Dimensions of connectedness-separateness and advertising appeals to the cultural and gender-specific self. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 9:107–115.
70. Wood, W., and Eagly, A. H., 2002. A cross-cultural analysis of the behavior of women and men:Implications for the origins of sex differences. Psychological Bulletin, 128:699–727.
71. Xu, Y., and Burleson, B. R., 2001. Effects of sex, culture, and support type on perceptions of spousal social support:An assessment of the “support gap” hypothesis in early marriage. Human Communication Research, 27:535–566.