More than I can say: Children’s self-disclosure to parents in Chinese culture

• Main Authors: Yung-Hsu Su, 蘇詠絮
• Other Authors: Man-Ling Zhang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/59920492930726771302

碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 心理學研究所 === 97 === The study was aimed to explore children’s self-disclosure to parents in Chinese culture, including the topics difficult to self-disclose to parents, the struggle children experienced, and the key to self-disclosure to parents. 17 late adolescents and early adults (aged 19 to 30 years) were interviewed and 23 incidents about these issues were collected. Qualitative data analysis indicated that among the topics covered included “the taboo subjects in society”, “frustration experienced in growth process”, “affection deeply from the bottom of one’s heart”, and “the subjects obligated to inform parents”. The struggles experienced by the interviewees have happened as follows: (1) They had to tell under obligations to parents, on the other hand, they were reluctant to tell under fear of parents’ intolerance and unfriendly responses. (2) They desired to but were unable to express deep affection because of limitation by role norms. (3) Under solicitude from interdependence with parents, interviewees were unwilling to self-disclose to parents because they feared parents’ concern for themselves. (4) They agonized over negotiations between independence and dependence under fear of their immaturity in parents eyes. The keys to self-disclose to parents were (1) obligation to tell; (2) being relieved to tell without fear; (3) blurting out under emotional impulse; (4) coming out bravely for identity; (5) interacting like friends as growing up. The struggling and transforming processes of children’s self-disclosure to parents were developed where children’s empathy with parents, and parents identification with children are keys to change parent-child relationships. Children will self-disclose to parents like friends when parent-child relationships become horizontal (not vertical), which is based on affection (not role).