The Relationship Between Culture and Social Anxiety in East Asian Americans

1. The Relationship Between Culture and Social Anxiety in East Asian Americans Datong Liu Department of Applied Psychology New York University I would like to thank Dr. Carola Suárez-Orozco for her guidance and support. Thanks also to Hee Jin Bang and Margary Martin for their comments and feedback.

2. Social Anxiety • Social Anxiety (SA) refers to the feeling of fear or embarrassment during interpersonal situations where one is exposed to the possibility of negative evaluation (DSM-IV, 2000). • National surveys estimate that 9-13% of the adult population experience mild to extreme forms of SA (NIMH, 2006). • Individuals who suffer from SA tend to have • diminished numbers of platonic and romantic relationships (Stevens & Morris, 2007). • lower educational attainment (Schneier, Johnson, Hornig, Liebowitz, & Weissman, 1992). • higher rates of depression (Dávila & Beck, 2002). • higher rates of alcohol and drugs use (Stewart, Morris, Mellings & Komar, 2006).

3. Cultural Differences in Ideological Orientations East Asia  Interdependent • Value less-dominant, more non-assertive styles of communication. • Passivity and submissiveness are seen as forms of politeness and respect. • Attribute success to interpersonal relationships, rather than self-efficacy or self-esteem. • Social Anxiety is not seen as a barrier to success. U.S.  Independent • Emphasis on individual assertion. • Passivity and introversion are seen as negative traits. • Self-esteem and self-efficacy are associated with hard work, success, and life satisfaction. • Social Anxiety is seen as a barrier to success. Alden & Bieling, 1998; Bradley & Roberts, 2004; Chen, 2000; Hong & Woody, 2007; Markus & Kitayama, 1991, 2004; Wilhelm & Baynes, 1989.

4. Cultural Differences in Social Anxiety • East Asians (i.e., Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans) in the U.S. report experiencing SA in greater intensity, but not frequency, when compared to their European American peers (Okazaki, 1997). • East Asians in the U.S. who have SA report greater social fear and mental impairment than those with SA residing in Asia (Chang & Demyan, 2007). • In contrast to other populations, SA among East Asians in the U.S. is not comorbid with depression (Okazaki, 1997). • The nature of SA among East Asians in the U.S. might be a result of their experiencing a cultural dissonance with regards to differing perceptions of “passivity” (Chen, Rubin, & Sun, 1992).

5. Acculturation • Acculturation is defined as a process of contact between two cultural groups where one adapts to the norms of the host group (Barry, 2001). • Acculturation seems to offset SA in East Asian Americans. Second-generation East Asian Americans (i.e., those born in the US) report lower levels of SA than first-generation East Asian Americans (i.e., individuals born in Asia) (Okazaki, 1997, 2000). • East Asians in the U.S. who identify with an interdependent cultural orientation are more sensitive to social cues and are perhaps more sensitive to negative evaluation than are European Americans (Hsu & Alden, 2007). • The differences in sensitivity might explain why East Asians in the U.S. experience SA in greater intensity than European Americans.

6. Acculturation & Social Anxiety English Oral Language Skills English skills have been associated with anxiety disorders in Asian Americans males (Takeuchi et al., 2007). For newly arrived immigrants, the teasing of accented English by peers can potentially lead to more SA. Parental Styles Qin (2008) found that the parental styles of Chinese Americans influence the degree of SA experienced by their children. Children who report distress also report strict parent control, lack of open communication with parents, high parental education expectations, and emotional alienation. Children who report no distress report flexible parenting, open communication, maintenance of emotional connection, and parental teaching of traditional moral values (i.e., Confucian teachings).

7. Goal of the Present Study • To examine whether East Asian American college students experience higher degrees of social anxiety than European Americans. • To explore the factors that might contribute to social anxiety among East Asian college students. These factors include parenting styles, oral English skills, and level of acculturation. • To provide insight into East Asian students’ perspectives about their own experiences with social anxiety.

8. Participants • 200 college students ages 18-25 will participate in the quantitative study. • 50 East Asian Americans who are 1st generation. • 50 East Asian Americans who are 1.5 generation. • 50 East Asian Americans who are 2nd generation. • 50 European Americans who are 2nd generation. • 30 of these participants (10 from each East Asian subgroup) will be randomly selected to participate in a follow-up qualitative study.

9. Procedure • All 200 participants will be asked to complete the following measures: • Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (.97 alpha). • East Asian Participants’ acculturation to Western values will be measured by the Suin-Lew Asian Self-Identity Scale (.88 alpha). • Parenting styles will be measured by the Parental Authority Questionnaire (α = .74 -.87). • English language skills will be measured by BEST (Basic English Skills Test) is a verbal test to assess oral English language competency (α .72 - .90). • A sub-sample of 30 participants (from the East Asian sample) will be asked to complete experience diaries for a 4-week period.

10. Description of Experience Diaries • Participants will be asked to record information for situations when they experienced SA: • What about the social situation caused you to feel anxious? • the time, place and the duration of the social situation • the gender and perceived ethnicity of the members involved in the social situation • At the end of each entry, participants will be asked to rate the level of discomfort they experienced on a 7-point Likert-type scale (from 0 = not even the slightest bit, 3 = moderate, and 6 = the most I’ve ever felt).

11. Data Analyses Analysis of Variance will be conducted to compare the means of the responses on the social phobia and anxiety inventory, (i.e., between the responses of 1st, 1.5, and 2nd generation East Asians and European Americans) Multiple regression analysis will be used to investigate the extent to which anxiety is predicted by parenting styles, English skills, and level of acculturation, controlling for participants’ age, gender, SES, amount of time spent in the U.S. and country-of-origin. The analysis of experience diaries will be guided by a grounded theory approach (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) to highlight the students’ first-hand experiences and view of SA.

12. Potential Findings & Implications • East Asian Americans will experience greater SA than European Americans. • Second generation East Asian Americans will experience less SA than 1.5 generation and 1st generation East Asian Americans. • English oral language skills and parental style will both play significant roles in feeling SA. • Results of the proposed study will advance our understanding of the relationship between acculturation and SA among different groups of East Asians living in the U.S. • The knowledge gained through the proposed study will help mental health professionals address more effectively the needs of East Asians in the U.S.