Ethnicity and emotional support in same‐sex friendship: A comparison of Asian‐Americans, African‐Americans, and Euro‐Americans

Abstract

Emotional support is a central feature around which white, middle-class adults organizc their same-sex friendships. The purpose of this study was to examine whether emotional support is accorded the same significance in the friendships of Asian-and African-Americans. Participants included 199 students (60 Euro-American men and women, 80 Asian-American men and womeh and 59 African-American men and women) attending either a state or private university in California. Each participant completed three different questionnaires designed to assess perceptions of (a) the importance of comforting skill in same-sex friendship; (b) the significance of emotion-focused versus problem-focused goals in situations requiring emotional support; and (c) the sensitivity and effectiveness of various comforting strategies. Several significant differences due to ethnicity were found in participants' perceptions of emotional support and its attendant behaviors. These and related findings are discussed in terms of their implifations for the conduct of same-sex friendship among individuals from different ethnic backgrounds.

When Should Advice Be Given? Assessing the Role of Sequential Placement of Advice in Supportive Interactions in Two Cultures

“…It also provides further empirical evidence supporting the proposition that the provision of emotional support is an important component of supportive interactions, and is a desirable initial response to a person's problem (e.g., Acitelli, 1996;Burleson et al, 1996;Samter, 1994). The fact that this finding was observed for both American and Chinese samples suggests that people across cultures have similar emotional needs when coping with stressful situations (Burleson & Mortenson, 2003;Samter & Burleson, 2005;Samter, Whaley, Mortenson, & Burleson, 1997). While Feng (2009) did not observe evidence in support of the proposition that advice offered after problem inquiry and analysis would be more effective than advice offered without problem inquiry and analysis, the present study found evidence in support of this proposition.…”

Explaining Gender Differences in Responses to Supportive Messages: Two Tests of a Dual-Process Approach

“…Given the effectiveness of HPC messages, it is important to underscore that both men and women evaluate and respond more positively to HPC comforting messages than to LPC messages (see Burleson and Kunkel 2006); however, studies with US college students have also found that women respond somewhat more favorably to HPC messages than do men, whereas men respond somewhat more favorably to LPC messages than do women (e.g., Kunkel and Burleson 1999;MacGeorge et al 2004). As noted previously, there is evidence that this pattern of gender differences in responses to supportive messages is widespread, existing in multiple American ethnic groups (Samter et al 1997), as well as other cultures, such as China (Burleson and Mortenson 2003).…”

“…Specifically, US college women evaluate sophisticated, sensitive support efforts as more helpful than do men and further evaluate unsophisticated, insensitive support efforts as less helpful than do men (e.g., Kunkel and Burleson 1999). This particular gender difference has also been found in samples of US children, adolescents, and adults (Clark et al 2008;Jones and Burleson 1997;Servaty-Seib and Burleson 2007), as well as in multiple US ethnic groups (Samter et al 1997), and in samples of both sojourning and domestic Chinese Burleson and Mortenson 2003).…”

Some Consequences for Helpers Who Deliver “Cold Comfort”: Why it's Worse for Women than Men to be Inept When Providing Emotional Support

“…Some research suggests that there are ethnic differences in responses to supportive messages (see reviews by Burleson, 2003b;Dilworth-Anderson & Marshall, 1996). In particular, African Americans have been found to view LPC comforting messages as more sensitive and effective than do European Americans, and this ethnic difference is strongest for women (Samter, Whaley, Mortenson, & Burleson, 1997). Thus it is possible that the use of LPC messages with African American women may not be as socially disadvantageous for female helpers as the use of such messages with European American women.…”