16 Basic Desires: China versus US

http://foxhugh.com/2015/12/27/16-basic-desires-china-versus-us/

I have been teaching in Asia at the college level for the last sixteen years. This semester just like
every semester I reflected that my Thai students have very different motivations than other Asian
students I have had including American and Chinese students. I didnt really find anything on the
internet that was useful directly but I did run into one general theory of motivation that I think is
detailed enough to be useful in the classroom and with adaptation the English as a foreign
language (EFL) classroom.

Professor Steven Reiss has proposed a theory that found 16 basic desires that guide nearly all
human behavior. The focus of research on motivation in the ESL classroom is on intrinsic vs
extrinsic motivation. Lile provides a good overview of the application of intrinsic vs extrinsic
motivation in the classroom as well as some practical suggestions.

My observation is that most American teachers in Asia tend to think that Americans have more
intrinsic motivation and Asians have more extrinsic or in language terms, instrumental
motivation. I might agree that Asians study English because this subject can lead to career
advancement when they graduate but I think the picture is actually much more complex.

Below are the 16 basic desires listed by Reiss and I would like to suggest that there are consistent
cross-cultural differences. My analysis is informal, subjective and speculative but based upon
more than 20 years living in nine different countries. This is a post on my personal blog not a
research article! Perhaps my blog post will MOTIVATE a researcher to follow up with empirical
research that can be published in a peer reviewed research journal.

I am American. I lived in China for one year and Taiwan for seven years so I do have some
familiarity with Chinese culture. In my opinion Chinese and Taiwanese are only slightly
different in the area of motivation. Chinese/Taiwanese on the other hand as a group are very
different from Americans. Below is a table comparing the US and China using Hofstedes
Dimensions.
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I have five years of teaching Americans at the secondary level and ten years of experience
teaching Americans at the college level. Below is a record of my thoughts followed by a table
that provides a synopsis of my analysis.

Acceptance The need for approval

The US scores higher on Hofstedes individualism score than China so probably acceptance is a
higher motivation in China than the US. Many Chinese universities do have an official class
leader. I have found that choosing one or two students to be class leaders when this formal
mechanism is not present does seem to motivate the top students and I think most Americans
would find this practice elitist and at odds with their egalitarian sensibilities.

Curiosity The need to learn

Americans are perhaps the most curious people I have ever lived with. Curiosity is almost a
defining characteristic of Americans. As a teacher who has taught in American and Chinese
settings I have had to adapt my teaching style by relying less on curiosity as a the motivating
factor in my lessons. However, Chinese, based purely on my experience, are more curious than
perhaps Thai students, who I have taught for over six years. There are ethnographic studies that
show American students are very active in the classroom compared to their Asian counterparts.
Inductive lessons seem to work better with Americans since inductive lessons rely heavily on
curiosity.

Eating The need for food

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I would say food is a more central part of Chinese culture than American culture but this is a
very subjective view. At the college level, students are much more likely to take their respected
university American teacher out to dinner in China. Conversely, rewarding your top students
with a dinner at a restaurant can instill an incredible amount of loyalty among your Chinese
students. This practice might seem a little elitist to many Americans but is not unheard of in the
US.

Family The need to raise children

Again as a measurably more collectivist culture, China is generally presumed to view family as
being more important than Americans. At the practical level this means Chinese students may
miss class because of family obligations. Chinese parents can and do order their adult college
students to attend family functions. For example, my Chinese students studying in Thailand can
be told by their parents that they need to go home for Chinese New Year. Officially Chinese
New Year is not a holiday in Thailand. An American teacher should reflect that giving a Chinese
student more leeway in this area than an American student might be a positive cultural
adaptation on the part of the teacher that will instill more loyalty in the students in the long run.

Honor The need to be loyal to the traditional values of ones clan/ethnic group

As defined above, China clearly values honor more than Americans. American is a multi-cultural
country and even defining American values is difficult. However, there are some transcultural
values such as a commitment to democracy that are very strong in Americans. Criticizing your
host country in class is a bad idea anywhere but is probably an even worse idea in China.
Discussion of the Three Ts (Taiwan, Tibet, and Tiananmen) in China in an inappropriate manner
can lead to your quick dismissal from your teaching post.

Idealism The need for social justice

Americans have a very strong commitment to democracy and that includes strong views about
social justice including a strong commitment to equality under the law, privacy, and the rights of
the individual overall. Discussions about politics may lead to dead silence in your college class
in China. There may be less interest in the topic and of course the students may correctly assume
this is a topic that can get everyone involved into trouble. As mentioned, the three Ts,
Tiananmen, Tibet and Taiwan are probably best avoided in classroom discussions in China. This
is the one area in which Taiwan is very different. You have a much, much more freedom to
discuss politics in Taiwan but I would say once again this might be a topic Taiwanese are not all
that interested in compared to Americans.

Independence The need for individuality

As measured by Hoftstede, the US is much more individualistic than China. Autonomy is a large
goal for many Americans at work and in life. I think my biggest surprise in Asia has been that
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many college students are studying majors their parents want them to rather than majors they
want to study. Asian students do seem less willing to share class work alone and would rather
share work with the class with a group or a classmate. Having a student read their paper alone in
front of the class might actually be perceived as punishment by many Chinese students.

Order The need for organized, stable, predictable environments

There is a lot of overlap between this concept and Hofstedes concept of uncertainty avoidance.
China scores higher on uncertainty avoidance. Chinese might prefer a more predictable
environment than US students.

Physical activity The need for exercise

I dont perceive a lot of difference between American and Chinese students in this area. Chinese
universities sometimes have a physical education requirement that is not present in American
universities. However, both countries suffer from rising obesity albeit the US more so than China
for now.

Power The need for influence of will.

Hofstedes power distance dimension applies to this area directly. There is much higher power
distance teachers and students in a Chinese classroom than in an American classroom. I do think
Chinese students will be less comfortable with extracurricular activities without strong teacher
supervision and certainly the Chinese system will not allow them a much freedom as in the US.
However, that doesnt mean the Chinese students dont want more power over their lives.
Chinese in a work setting do seem to be willing to go to great lengths to achieve more power.

Romance The need for sex and for beauty

Maybe a long time ago China was less driven by consumerism and the message that everyone
should be sexy and beautiful. I think nowadays both countries put a premium on romantic needs
as part of a successful life.

Saving The need to collect

Chinese have a higher uncertainty avoidance index and a tradition of saving more income than
Americans.

Social contact The need for friends (peer relationships)

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China is less individualistic than the US and peer relationships are much more important than in
the US.

Social status The need for social standing/importance

Both Chinese and Americans put a premium on social standing. I would say this is something
that both countries have in common.

Tranquility The need to be safe

Again, China has a higher uncertainty avoidance score so a desire for tranquility is probably
higher among Chinese students than American students.

Vengeance The need to strike back and to compete

There is a Chinese legalistic tradition that favors harsh punishment in order to maintain social
harmony. In theory harsh punishment is not about revenge but historically this has not always
been the case. The US probably emphasizes due process more than any other country in the
world and certainly more so than China! Due process does make using the system to exact
revenge using state resources more difficult regardless of motivation.

Links

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/curious/201407/16-ways-motivate-anyone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation#Intrinsic_motivation_and_the_16_basic_desires_theory