Perceived responsiveness plays a key role in social support interactions. Past research shows that people are more likely to seek support when they perceive that close others will be responsive to their needs, and that social support is most effective when it is perceived as responsive. However, theoretical models and measures of perceived responsiveness, and conceptualizations of responsive support, have been based primarily on the norms and values of individualistic cultures and may not generalize to collectivistic cultures. This review addresses cultural variations in what is perceived as responsive support and the importance of considering cultural fit in the social support process, including how cultural goals lead to different support-seeking behaviors and well-being outcomes for individualists and collectivists. How perceived responsiveness changes depending on other cultural dimensions and how it can be applied to other relationship processes and be more inclusive of collectivistic values are also discussed.

Research has discovered that those from individualistic cultures are more likely to seek social support and view it as effective when coping with stress compared to those from collectivistic cultures. However, many individuals have a bicultural background rooted in both individualistic and collectivistic values, which can enable them to adapt their support seeking behavior to different contexts, depending on which cultural values are salient. The present research evaluated the effects of identity priming on support seeking and support expectations among East Asian Americans. Participants (N = 146) recruited from undergraduate populations were randomly primed with either American (individualistic) or East Asian (collectivistic) cultural icons, followed by questionnaires evaluating their support seeking behaviors and perceptions of support for a current stressor. Generational status and cultural identification were assessed as potential moderators. Contrary to our hypothesis, cultural prime had no impact on support seeking behavior, but did affect perceptions of support. Participants primed with East Asian (vs. American) icons perceived significantly higher overall support (b = –0.42, β = –.21, p = .014) and family support (b = –0.49, β = –.18, p = .038). We also found that those who strongly identified with their American identity reported significantly higher overall perceived support (bsimple = –0.71, bsimple = –.73, p = .003, ΔR2 = .030) and friend support (bsimple = –0.72, bsimple = –.68, p = .005) when primed with East Asian (vs. American) icons. This study considers the within-group differences among East Asian Americans and expands understanding of the relationship between culture and social support.

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