Comparative Need Patterns of Five Ancestry Groups in Hawaii

The Acceptance of "Barnum" Personality Interpretations by Japanese, Japanese-American, and Caucasian American College Students

Native Japanese, Japanese-American, and Caucasian American students at universities in Japan and Hawaii were compared on their acceptance of Barnum personality statements. The Barnum descriptions were filled with personality clich6s and were presented to the subjects as having been interpreted by "several clinical psychologists" from the Ss' Rorschach protocols. The results indicated that all three groups were equally and highly likely to endorse these descriptions as being true of themselves even when attempts were made to control for compliance effects. The findings were discussed with reference to similar acculturation influences in terms of mass media and course content self-concept learning experiences among university students. Finally, the utility of intra-and intercultural personality assessment was considered in terms of the high base rate Barnum statement acceptance.

Individualism-Collectivism

Individualism and collectivism are terms used by both social scientists and the public, but there are few systematic studies of this dimension. A sample of psychologists and anthropologists from all parts of the world was asked to respond to a questionnaire the way they believe an individualist and a collectivist would respond. The questionnaire described 10 target persons in seven situations. The responses converged, suggesting that there is consensus about the meaning of the dimension. Accordingly, collectivism can be defined as (1) concern by a person about the effects of actions or decisions on others, (2) sharing of material benefits, (3) sharing of nonmaterial resources, (4) willingness of the person to accept the opinions and views of others, (5) concern about self-presentation and loss of face, (6) belief in the correspondence of own outcomes with the outcomes of others, and (7) feeling of involvement in and contribution to the lives of others. Individualists show less concern, sharing, and so on than collectivists. The approach can be used with other relatively unstudied constructs to establish whether there is consensus among researchers about the meaning of a construct.

Ethnic Variations in the Expression of Depression

Samples of Americans of Japanese, Chinese, and European ancestry evidencing clinical levels of depression were administered a depression symptom checklist, and the results were submitted to a factor analysis. Groups differed with respect to the functional dimensions expressed by the patterns. In general, existential symptoms dominated the patterns of the Japanese and Caucasians, while somatic symptoms were more characteristic of the Chinese. In addition, the Japanese evidenced an interpersonal symptom pattern, and both oriental groups manifested a cognitive symptom pattern. A theory was proposed which suggested that symptoms are related to extensions of the self-conditioned via socialization experiences. The role of individual differences, stress, and cultural definitions of disorder in determining the expression of depression was also discussed.

Assertiveness and social anxiety in Chinese-American women

The notion that Chinese Americans, compared to Caucasian Americans, are passive and nonassertive was examined with self-report and behavioral measures. Chinese-Americans (n = 36) and Caucasian (n = 19) female college students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: role-playing a series of 13 situations requiring assertion with an Asian experimenter or role-playing the same situations with a Caucasian experimenter. The Chinese-American students were as assertive as the Caucasian subjects on all behavioral measures. Only one self-report measure, the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (Watson & Friend, 1968), revealed a significant difference between the two groups; Chinese-American students were more apprehensive about social situations than Caucasian students.

Diagnostic considerations in working with Asian-Americans

It is generally accepted that ethnic differences can no longer be regarded as extraneous variables in diagnosis. Yet, how to work with these differences often remains unclear. Asian-American cultural views and values are discussed with respect to their influence on the assessment of intellectual and personality functioning. It is proposed that the diagnostic process include a focus on the adaptive potential of particular forms of cultural behavior.

Chinese collective orientation and need for achievement

Based on a sample of 401 Chinese male and female teenagers in Taiwan, this study was designed to test the cross-cultural validity of the affective arousal model for n Ach (need for Achievement) employed by McClelland and his associates. An attempt was made to replicate their research procedures while at the same time adding an experimental condition (Collective Failure) which they did not have in their studies. It was found that the (Individual) Failure condition, as employed by McClelland and his associates, was not particularly salient in arousing the need for achievement of the Chinese teenagers sampled in this study. Instead, they responded most favourably when the achievement demands were least overt and when they were impressed with the significance of their performance on a larger collectivity than the self. Implications of this finding for ethnic mental health are suggested.

Female personality patterns in two cultures

That personality tests developed to measure certain variables in one culture may be used to measure the same variables in other cultures is not supported by research. It seems more reasonable to make cross-cultural comparisons on individual items comprising a test than on the variables purportedly being measured by the test. In such a comparison, 102 U. S. college females were observed to be much more expressive of sexual impulse than 110 college females from India. The American Ss showed more social orientation, the Indian Ss more achievement motivation. Both showed a need for dependency and emotional support.