A cross-cultural study of mutual understanding between students and parents

Abstract

This cross-cultural study investigates the interpersonal perception of parents and young people in Lebanon and Britain. The aims were (1) to compare the students' degree of accuracy in perceiving their parents' opinion with the actual opinions of the parents. Similarly, the parents' accuracy in perceiving their children's opinion is compared with the actual opinions of young people, (2) to assess the students' level of security and find its relationship to accurate prediction, (3) to compare the two generations, the two sexes, and the two cultural groups quantitatively and qualitatively in their attitudes to the various areas of opinion. Using two questionnaires, three different scores were obtained for each student: a security score, an accurate prediction score and an agreement score. The personal security of the student was measured by Ainsworths' Security-Insecurity test. The prediction and agreement scores were obtained using an opinion statement questionnaire administered to both parents and students. By varying the instructions for both groups and by the scoring procedure it was possible to go beyond a mere accuracy score. The findings were as follows: 1. Security and accurate prediction are highly correlated for the Lebanese women students but non-significant for the other three groups (especially after partialling out agreement). Results were explained within the contexts of the Middle Eastern culture and Riesman's theory of 'inner directed society'. 2. Agreement and accurate prediction are highly related only for the Lebanese men and British men students. Various explanations were discussed of which one was found within the theory of cognitive dissonance. 3. Accurate predictions of both parents and children correlate significantly, suggesting the reciprocal nature of accurate perception. A. Agreement and accurate prediction are highly related. The possible effects of 'Real' and 'Assumed' similarity are pointed out. 5. Broadly, the qualitative and quantitative comparison of both generations, sexes and cultures are, with a few exceptions, generally in accordance with expectations. These findings were discussed within the social structure of each culture.