ATTITUDES TOWARDS COMMUNICATION AND SELF-DISCLOSURE: EXAMINATION OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND THE IMPACT UPON HELP SEEKING BEHAVIOR (JAPANESE-AMERICAN SANSEI)

Cultural differences in attitudes towards communication and self-disclosure were investigated as possible factors contributing to under use of counseling and mental health services by Japanese-American Sansei. It was hypothesized that many of the values implicit in the psychotherapeutic process regarding communication and emotional self-disclosure may be contradictory to Asian cultural values and may influence help seeking behavior.; Thirty Sansei subjects (third generation Japanese-Americans) from the California State University, San Diego campus were enlisted to participate as subjects in this study. Twenty-nine Caucasian students served as a contrast group. That subjects have not had any previous counseling experience was a selection criteria.; The major hypotheses examined were: (1) Japanese-American Sansei would select a different set of values to describe interpersonal communication than would Caucasian subjects, (2) Japanese-Americans not using formal outside assistance (i.e., counseling, psychotherapy) will seek help from special relationships in their naturally occuring social network, and (3) Japanese-American Sansei would select as helpers those individuals whose value system regarding communication is perceived as being similiar to one's own. Hypotheses were based in part upon Personal Construct Theory.; Each subject was administered the Values Identification Scale and three forms of the Conceptual Grid--the Communications Value Grid, the Stress Situation Grid, and the Therapy Grid. Data generated from the Conceptual Grids was analyzed using a cluster analysis procedure which yielded a structural map of perceived similiarities and differences in communication style and a map of interpersonal relationships. Nomethetic analyses were performed by using z-tests for significance of differences between two proportions.; The first hypotheses was not supported. Sansei did not differ from the Caucasian group in terms of the constructs that were used to describe interpersonal communication. Group differences however, did emerge when relative agreement/disagreement with each of the communications constructs was compared using the Values Identification Scale. Sansei agreed more strongly with the concepts of personal/collective shame and the concept of "gaman."; The pattern of "actual" help was highly similiar for both the Sansei and Caucasian groups. Peer group comprised an integral part of the informal support system. . . . (Author's abstract exceeds stipulated maximum length. Discontinued here with permission of author.) UMI...