How Cultural Values Predict Chinese Caregivers’ Perceptions of Shyness, Unsociability, and Social Avoidance

This study explored Chinese caregivers’ perceptions of social withdrawal driven by different approach-avoidance motivations and the impact of cultural values on their perceptions. Caregivers (n = 699; 73% mothers) reported cultural values and perceptions of vignettes depicting hypothetical adolescents displaying shy, unsociable, and avoidant behaviors. The results indicated that caregivers viewed social avoidance as most problematic, followed by shyness, whereas unsociability was perceived as relatively benign. Caregivers with collectivistic values perceived higher negative costs and prosocial responses to social withdrawal, while those with individualistic values viewed social withdrawal as more normative and reported greater social rejection of withdrawn peers, regardless of the motivations. These findings offer new insights into caregivers’ perceptions of social withdrawal and highlight the role of cultural values from an intracultural perspective.