Let's Make Peace! A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Effects of Serial Arguing Behaviors in Romantic Relationships: The Case of Malagasy Romantic Partners

This study extends the Western research on serial arguing by replicating that research with a non-American sample: the Malagasy people. Two hundred and twenty-four people were recruited from Madagascar, and from among members of the Malagasy diasporas in France, Québec, and the United States. Consistent with research conducted in the U.S. culture, demand/withdraw conflict behavior was a better predictor of relational outcomes than attempts at reconciliation or the frequency of serial arguing. The study highlighted within-cultural differences. The frequency of serial arguing was positively correlated with vertical individualism and vertical collectivism but negatively correlated with horizontal individualism.     

Emerging Interpersonal Norms of Text Messaging in India and the United States

This study examines whether there are emerging interpersonal norms of text messaging—an etiquette (“textiquette”) of texting—that guide its use in India and the United States. One hundred and thirty-seven participants recorded multiple text messages sent and received in specially designed text logs. Each log secured data on the following dimensions: (1) the context in which a text was sent and received/read; (2) who each participant was with—and the reaction of this person(s)—when the participant sent or received/read a text message; and (3) what constitutes impolite text messaging behavior. Results reveal emerging interpersonal norms of text messaging in both countries that vary significantly across cultures on all three dimensions. Implications and limitations are discussed.     

China,Arab States to Co-build the Belt and the Road in Cultural Field

The China-Arab States Forum of Cultural Ministers under the framework of the 3rd Arab Arts Festival took place at the National Mu- seum of China in Beijing on Septem- ber 10. The participants from the offi- cial cultural delegations of China, 10 Arab states and the League of Arab States conducted discussion and ex- changed views on such topics as increas- ing cultural exchange and cooperation, co-building the Belt （the Silk Road Eco- nomic Belt） and the Road （the 21st-cen- tury Maritime Silk Road） in the field of culture, and enhancing people-to-peo- ple communication. Chinese cultural minister Cai Wu and cultural ministers of the 19 participating Arab States ad- opted the Beijing Declaration.     

Independence and obedience in the United States and Japan

Are some Americans and Japanese beginning to think more similarly about independence and obedience? Middle-class adult respondents from the suburbs of Chicago and Tokyo (U.S.: 43 males and 54 females: Japan: 71 males and 80 females) were surveyed about their sex-role values. This report focuses on two values which have been recognised as constituting fundamental differences between Japanese and Americans: personal independence and obedience. The survey used a metric multidimensional scaling technique called Galileo^®. Analyses of the data and results of other comparative studies suggest that any convergence taking place between the two societies is occurring primarily within American society. There is growing evidence, including the findings of this study, that Americans are moving away from their traditional stress on the importance of the individual in society. The Japanese respondents did show a more liberal conceptualization of the ideal woman with respect to obedience, however, there was no indication that this less traditional image of women extended to their other traditional roles in society.     

The experience of professional autonomy among psychotherapists in Korea and the United States

This study investigates professional autonomy as experienced by psychotherapists in Korea and in the United States using data collected as part of a collaborative international study of the development of psychotherapists (Orlinsky et al. (1999). Psychotherapy Research, 9(2), 127–153; Orlinsky & Rønnestad, (2005). How psychotherapists develop: A study of therapeutic work and professional growth. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association). The major aims are: to compare the extent of professional autonomy experienced by psychotherapists in Korea and by their counterparts in the USA; and to explore the professional and social correlates of the professional autonomy experienced by Korean therapists and compare these with the correlates of autonomy experienced by American therapists. These aims are pursued through analyses of a database of questionnaire responses. Results indicate that Korean therapists, compared to American therapists in our sample experience significantly lower levels of professional autonomy. For Korean therapists, whether they have a salient theoretical orientation in their practice is the single most important influence in their experience of work autonomy. Seniority and work setting are also significant correlates of autonomy for the Korean therapists. Similar to Korean therapists, seniority and having a salient orientation are also important influences on the way American therapists experience professional autonomy. American therapists, who work in independent practice experience higher work autonomy, whereas American social workers tend to experience lower professional autonomy.     

The relationship of individualism–collectivism and self-construals to communication styles in India and the United States

This study investigated the high-/low-context communication construct in terms of individualistic and collectivist values and self-construals. European American students studying in the United States and Indian students studying in India rated 80 communication statements, 29 self-construal statements and 34 value (individualism/collectivism) statements to examine cultural differences in each construct. As expected, Indians rated themselves as more collectivistic, having more interdependent self-construals, and preferring silence and indirect communication than Americans. Contrary to prior theorization, Indians also rated themselves as more dramatic and more individualistic. Several other expected differences were not apparent in this study. These findings show complex subtleties that defy simple definition by the common rubrics or generalizations of individualism/collectivism, self-construal, or high- and low-context behaviors.     

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Parental and Peer Attachment Styles among Adult Children from the United States,Puerto Rico,and India

Parental and peer attachment is central to perceived and actual communication behavior. This investigation examines perceptions of attachment among people from the United States, Puerto Rico, and India to investigate the variance in parental and peer attachment levels cross-culturally. Puerto Rican participants expressed less overall attachment to their mothers than did Indian and American participants. Indian participants conveyed stronger attachment to their fathers compared to participants from Puerto Rico. US participants showed stronger attachment to their peers than did people from India. This investigation suggests that the tenets of attachment theory are not culturally universal.     

Motivated prejudice: The effect of need for closure on anti-immigrant attitudes in the United States and Italy and the mediating role of binding moral foundations

Why do people have anti-immigrant attitudes? We proposed that individuals’ need for cognitive closure—an epistemic motivation associated with an aversion to change in established environments—is predictive of a dislike of immigrants through increased binding to powerful groups. In four studies, collected in both Italy (Study 1) and the United States (Studies 2–4), we found that there were effects of need for cognitive closure on anti-immigrant attitudes, as well as indirect effects through binding. These results were significant controlling for participants’ political orientation (Studies 2–4), when either dispositional measure (Studies 1–3) or an experimental induction (Study 4) of need for cognitive closure was used, and when both general attitudes toward immigrants (Studies 1, 2, 4) and attitudes toward immigrants’ economic impact (Studies 3 and 4) were assessed.     

High-Speed Internet Access to the Other: The Influence of Cultural Orientations on Self-Disclosures in Offline and Online Relationships

The global village metaphor, originally popularized by Marshall McLuhan, suggests that individuals connected to information and communication technologies become more involved with others from around the world. The speed at which messages are communicated is one factor why Internet-supported technologies create a sense of community. The diffusion of Internet networks to areas around the world naturally increases the potential for intercultural communication. Considering the cultural differences of the communicators and diminished social cues of the environment, the opportunity for misunderstandings may be elevated in intercultural Internet-based communication. The present investigation explores how two important components of culture—individualism and collectivism—influence communication behaviors in face-to-face and computer-mediated relationships. Self-disclosures, which are fundamental to relationship development, are specifically studied. The findings reveal that collectivism is associated with fewer self-disclosures in computer-mediated relationships than in comparable face-to-face relationships. The difference between self-disclosure behaviors in face-to-face and computer-mediated relationships is more pronounced among individuals high in collectivism than those high in individualism. Implications to social information processing theory and future directions for intercultural Internet-based communication research are considered.     

Relating Intercultural Communication Sensitivity to Conflict Management Styles,Technology Use,and Organizational Communication Satisfaction in Multinational Organizations in China

This research examines intercultural communication sensitivity in relation to other organizational communication factors in China branches of multinational corporations. We found minor differences existed between Chinese employees with overseas living experience vs. those without any overseas living experience with respect to their intercultural communication sensitivity, conflict management style, technology use, and organizational communication satisfaction. Chinese employees with a higher level of intercultural sensitivity were more satisfied with their organizational communication, tended to use control and solution-oriented conflict management styles, and used different communication technologies in organizational settings.     

Gender,culture, and geography: A comparison of seating arrangements in the United States and Taiwan

The present study describes and compares seating preferences among Taiwanese and American respondents. Using a questionnaire method, seating preferences were obtained for 75 male and 100 female college students from the United Slates, and for 29 male and 54 female teachers of English in Taiwan. Responses were obtained for all possible combinations of sex of interaction partner, location (task or social), and six interpersonal activities. Results were summarized in the form of proportions of respondents choosing each of four possible angles of interaction: corner, opposite, diagonal, and side seating. Comparisons were made using Chisquare tests for independence.In general, results showed that Taiwanese respondents, when compared to Americans, are more likely to prefer side seating and less likely to prefer corner seating. Culture, sex of respondents, and sex of interaction partner interact in influencing preferences. In the United States, seating preferences function to unite males with females and to separate same-sex partners, while the opposite is true in Taiwan. Results are interpreted in terms of implications for intercultural communication.     

The roles of culture and fairness in maintaining relationships: A comparison of romantic partners from Malaysia,Singapore, and the United States

The present study concerns how culture connects to perceptions of equity and relational maintenance behavior in the United States (US), Malaysia, and Singapore. In doing so, this study extends findings that employed cultural modernization theory (CMT) and equity theory to explain cultural and individual variations in relational maintenance behavior. Sex differences were also examined. Three countries were selected for their proximity in Traditional (vs. Rational) Values and divergence in Survival (vs. Self Expression) Values, according to the World Values Survey (WVS) cultural map. Consistent with CMT assumptions, participants in the United States and Malaysia (i.e., countries that espouse self expression values) reported greater use of relational maintenance strategies than did those in Singapore (i.e., a country endorsing survival values). As hypothesized, curvilinear associations between equity and relational maintenance strategies were found for the US participants only. This finding concurs with CMT-grounded assumptions and facts that romantic partners in Western (vs. Eastern), high-income societies (e.g., the US) seek equitable relationships. Sex differences also emerged but only for the US participants.     

Narratives about the Media,Diet, and Body Image: A Cross-Cultural Comparison between Young Female Adults in the Midwestern United States and South Korea

This paper focuses on analysing college women’s narratives to discover their interpretations of thin ideals and dieting experiences and to compare cultural differences between the USA and Korea. Narrative analysis revealed that US women and Korean women have a different understanding of thin ideals. Both groups experienced social comparisons, social pressure to be thin, and emotional distress regarding appearance. Similarly, they revealed their emotional fluctuations associated with changes in weight. However, there were cultural differences in both groups’ ultimate goals for weight control. Consequently, this study suggests that feelings towards weight control have culturally grounded implications. Future directions are discussed.     

Analysis of demographic,psychological and cultural aspects associated with the practice of sexting in Mexican and Spanish adolescents

Sexting is an increasingly frequent phenomenon among adolescents, and it involves risky behaviors such as sextortion or even grooming. This study aims to analyze demographic, psychological, and cultural variables that may explain the nature of this phenomenon. The sample consisted of 471 adolescents from 12 to 18 years old from two countries, Spain and Mexico, with dissimilar levels of gender inequality. Results highlight important differences in sexting behavior between the two countries. We have found higher levels of sexting behaviors in Mexican adolescents (41.5 %) than in Spanish adolescents (24.6 %) as well as an earlier start in Mexican adolescents. Moreover, adolescents in Mexico engage in sexting more frequently. There are no differences, however, in age showing a growing pattern in the two countries, nor in gender, self-esteem or impulsivity. These results are interpreted from a cultural perspective and highlight the importance of studying the phenomenon of sexting within the framework of cultural influences, especially sexism. Considering cultural factors is necessary, in order to implement differential preventive strategies according to each culture. Prevention in countries with high inequality, such as Mexico, should be earlier.