Compliance in Chinese and Canadian toddlers: A cross-cultural study

Abstract

Observational data concerning children’s compliance were collected from samples of 2-year-olds in PR China and Canada. Information on child-rearing attitudes was obtained from mothers. It was found that Chinese toddlers had higher scores on voluntary committed compliance than their Canadian counterparts. In contrast, Canadian toddlers had higher scores on externally imposed or situational compliance and overt protest than Chinese toddlers. Girls displayed more committed compliance than boys in both samples. Maternal warmth and induction were positively associated with committed compliance in Chinese toddlers, and maternal induction was positively associated with situational compliance in Canadian toddlers. Maternal punishment orientation was negatively associated with committed compliance and positively associated with situational control in Chinese toddlers, but not in Canadian toddlers. The results might indicate specific cultural “meanings” of different forms of child compliance.

Inhibitory Control and Harsh Discipline as Predictors of Externalizing Problems in Young Children: A Comparative Study of U.S., Chinese, and Japanese Preschoolers

“…Thus, from a young age Chinese children are taught to suppress impulsivity, anger, and aggression (Cheah and Rubin 2004;Wang et al 2006). Conversely, cultural values concerning the importance of effortful behavior underpin Chinese parents' socialization practices around rigorous, early self-control training (Chao et al 2000;Chen et al 2003). Practices described above predict differences in children's behavior across different cultural contexts.…”

Social Withdrawal and Shyness

“…For example, Nelson et al (2006) suggested that Chinese parents are more directive in their strategies to encourage their children to fi t in with their peers and help their children learn socially acceptable behavior. Chinese mothers have also been found to be more accepting of their children ' s inhibited behavior than North American mothers (Chen et al, 1998 ). Yet, in more recent work, social withdrawal was reported to be negatively valued by Chinese mothers of preschool children (Cheah & Rubin, 2004 ).…”

“…For example, reserved, inhibited behavior (Chen et al, 1998 ) may be interpreted as refl ecting a cooperative, compliant demeanor, and thus may be viewed as acceptable behavior. Nonsocial and withdrawn behavior in social company (Cheah & Rubin, 2004 ) may be viewed as an uncooperative, unacceptable form of behavior.…”

Cultural Adaptations to Environmental Variability: An Evolutionary Account of East–West Differences

“…learning styles (e.g., Geary et al 1996) to such social-personality concepts as conformity (e.g., Kim and Markus 1999) and compliance (e.g., Chen et al 2003). Different theories focusing on different facets of the multidimensional concept of culture have been proposed to provide primarily proximate explanations of the observed East-West differences.…”