Cross-cultural Comparison of BAS/BIS in Physical Education between Korean and Chinese Middle School Students

Abstract

Purpose: This study conducted a cross-cultural examination of behavioral activation/inhibition in physical education between Korean and Chinese middle school students. Methods: Korean participants were 494 students and Chinese participants were 447 students. We surveyed the BAS/BIS questionnaire for physical education. The data were analyzed by frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, a reliability analysis and independent t-test with confidence interval. Results: The following findings were obtained. First, the students’ BAS/BIS score were differentiated by country, gender and grade variable. Second, generally, Korean males tended to have higher positive teachers’ action-attitude scores than Chinese male students. Third, Korean female and male students showed higher BIS score including incompetence and negative teachers’ action than Chinese students. Fourth, there were also grade difference on positive teachers’ action-attitude and negative teachers’ action in both countries. Conclusion: We found some of the cultural background between Korean and Chinese middle school students and its psychological properties and suggested the cross cultural research in Nothern East Asian countries including China, Korea and Japan.