Cognitive Differences between Japanese and Americans in their Perceptions of Difficult Social Situations

Abstract

This study examined the effects of such situational factors as contexts, behavioral rules, and social roles on human behavior in intercultural settings. These situational factors were extracted through an intensive review of the literature on recent schema research. This study was conducted in two phases. Study I was carried out to determine the situations that contained different behavioral rules held by Japanese and Americans. In Study 2, two research questions were raised: "Do different behavioral rules held by Japanese and Americans lead to a unidimensional or multidimensional pattern of intercultural relations?" and "If behavioral rules prove to be multidimensional, what difficulties are Japanese and Americans likely to experience when they communicate with one another?" The results in Study 1 indicated that 21 situations that were investigated did contain different Japanese and American behavioral rules, thus supporting the validity of the instrument (scenarios containing different Japanese and American behaviors based on these behavioral rules) used in Study 2. The results in Study 2 showed (a) multidimensionality of behavioral rules and (b) types and degrees of difficulties that Japanese and Americans are likely to experience.