Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
1-2006
Abstract
Past research, with its emphasis on affective regulatory processes, has failed to find cross-cultural differences in counterfactual thoughts. In the current study, the authors examine the tendency to generate additive counterfactuals (those that focus on the addition of new aspects that were not in fact present) and subtractive counterfactuals (those that focus on subtraction of factual aspects) among Mainland Chinese and European American university students in five life domains: schoolwork, romantic relationships, family relationships, friendships, and life in general. As in previous studies, the authors find an overall main effect, in which additive counterfactuals predominate over subtractive counterfactuals within both cultural groups. However, they also find systematic cultural differences in the likelihood of generating additive and subtractive counterfactuals in the domains of schoolwork and family. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding the nature of cultural differences.
Keywords
counterfactuals, cultural differences, life domains, Chinese culture, China, Europe
Discipline
Multicultural Psychology | Personality and Social Contexts
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
Volume
37
Issue
1
First Page
75
Last Page
84
ISSN
0022-0221
Identifier
10.1177/0022022105282296
Publisher
SAGE
Citation
CHEN, Jing, CHIU, Chi-Yue, ROESE, Neal J., TAM, Kim-Pong, & LAU, Ivy Yee-Man.(2006). Culture and Counterfactuals: On the Importance of Life Domains. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37(1), 75-84.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/239
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022105282296