Comparative Investigation of Adolescents’ Generalized Pliance and Psychological Inflexibility across Cultural Contexts

Abstract

Generalized pliance is a pattern of rule-governed behavior characterized by having social approval as the main source of reinforcement. Recent research has found that generalized pliance is related to psychological inflexibility. As generalized pliance and psychological inflexibility are learned through social interaction, there may be differences in these processes across cultures. The present study examined adolescents’ generalized pliance and psychological inflexibility with respect to cultural context and gender in a sample of adolescents (n = 508) aged 12–17 in the Irish and Colombian contexts. Generalized pliance was higher in the Irish context than in the Colombian context. In the Irish context, females reported greater generalized pliance and psychological inflexibility than males. In the Colombian context, females reported greater psychological inflexibility than males. Findings are discussed with reference to the need for longitudinal studies across different cultures to analyze developmental trajectories of generalized pliance and psychological inflexibility.