Cultural Variations in the Reasons People Provide Avoidance Support

Abstract

This study explores variations in the reasons people engage in avoidance as a support strategy across the two cultures of the United States and China. An avoidance-support belief scale was developed. Exploratory factor analysis of responses from 231 Americans and 219 Chinese identified three dimensions of the scale: (1) protecting the support seeker from harm by avoiding, (2) maintaining a positive mood by avoiding, and (3) spiritual/philosophical reasons for avoiding. Follow-up analyses revealed that Chinese scored significantly and substantially higher than Americans for all three avoidance support dimensions. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Keywords:

• Avoidance Support
• Belief
• Culture
• Scale

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hairong Feng

Hairong Feng (Ph.D., Purdue University, 2007) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Minnesota, Duluth

Steven R. Wilson

Steven R. Wilson (Ph.D., Purdue University, 1989) is a professor in the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University