Social Values and Self-Disclosure: A Comparison of Chinese Native, Chinese Resident (in U.S.) and North American Spouses

Abstract

Guided by the individualism-collectivism model, the present study examined the relationship between cultural values and marital processes among Chinese native, Chinese residents in America, and North American spouses. Respondents completed a questionnaire which assessed individualism, collectivism and self-disclosure. The results were mixed in their support of the model. As expected, we found that (a) Chinese resident wives were more individualistic than Chinese native wives, (b) Chinese resident husbands were more collectivistic than their North American counterparts, and (c) across gender, Chinese natives disclosed less than both Chinese residents and North Americans. Contrary to individualism-collectivism, however, we found that (a) Chinese resident husbands were more collectivistic than Chinese native husbands, and (b) Chinese native wives were less collectivistic than Chinese resident and North American wives. The empirical and conceptual factors which might have contributed to this pattern of findings are discussed.