Belief in reciprocity in a Chinese sample

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Cross-Cultural Psychology

Background:

• The norm of reciprocity suggests people return favors in kind.
• Understanding cultural variations in reciprocity beliefs is crucial for social psychology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between belief in reciprocity and altruism in a Chinese sample.
• To explore the mediating role of forgiveness in this relationship.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Personal Norm of Reciprocity Scale, Trait Forgiveness Scale, Prosocial Tendency Measure, and Altruism Scale.
• Surveyed 204 Chinese undergraduate students.

Main Results:

• Belief in reciprocity was positively associated with negative reciprocity but not positive reciprocity.
• Belief in reciprocity negatively correlated with prosocial tendency and altruistic motivation.
• Forgiveness significantly mediated the link between belief in reciprocity and altruism.

Conclusions:

• Belief in reciprocity functions as a partially negative norm among Chinese undergraduates.
• Forgiveness is a critical factor influencing altruistic behavior in the context of reciprocity beliefs.