Implicit support differs across five groups in the U.S., Taiwan, and Mexico

Prior research documents numerous psychological and physiological benefits of implicit support particularly for Asians/Asian Americans. However, potential variation in how two different kinds of collectivism-Harmony and Convivial-shape support has been overlooked. Additionally, implicit support has largely been studied using quantitative approaches, whereas qualitative methods may best illuminate how implicit support is used in everyday life. The present mixed-methods investigation aims to better understand implicit support "in practice" and to unpack previously overlooked nuances between different subsets of collectivism in implicit support processes. We collected qualitative accounts of implicit support interactions from 216 female participants (U.S. Whites, U.S. Latinas, U.S. Asians, Mexican, Taiwanese) who were prompted to describe an implicit support experience and then quantitatively assess its helpfulness. Qualitative analysis using a thematic analysis approach identified three subcategories of implicit support (traditional, semi-disclosure, non-verbal cues). Cultural patterns emerged in how implicit support was used across different groups that align with high-context and low-context communication theories and cultural values. The current research highlights the benefit of qualitative approaches to understanding nuanced support processes, and the need to study culture beyond the individualism-collectivism dichotomy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).