Examining Cultural Similarities and Differences in Responses to Advice: A Comparison of American and Chinese College Students

The present study compared and contrasted American and Chinese college students' responses to advice by examining the impact of perceived advice content features (response efficacy, feasibility, absence of limitations) and source characteristics (expertise, trustworthiness, liking) on recipient's evaluation of advice quality and intention to implement advice in each cultural group. American (N = 262) and Chinese college students (N = 319) completed questionnaires reporting on a recent instance of receiving advice with regard to a personal problem. Across both cultural groups, each of the perceived content and source features was positively associated with participants' evaluation of advice quality and intention to follow advice, and perceived content features had stronger and more direct influence on responses to advice than source characteristics did. Perceived content features had a stronger impact on Americans' intention to implement advice than they did for Chinese, whereas perceived source characteristics had a stronger impact on Chinese' intention to implement advice than they did for Americans.