You have free access to this content

One World, Just a Dream? Effects of the Beijing Olympic icon on perceived differences between Eastern and Western culture

  1. Jennifer L. Rosner1,*,
  2. Yanmei Li2,
  3. Melody Manchi Chao3,
  4. Ying-yi Hong1,4

Article first published online: 20 MAY 2010

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-839X.2010.01309.x

Issue

Asian Journal of Social Psychology

Asian Journal of Social Psychology

Special Issue: SPECIAL FORUM: CULTURE AND BRAIN: OPPORTUNITIES FOR AND CHALLENGES TO ASIAN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Volume 13, Issue 2, pages 139–151, June 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Rosner, J. L., Li, Y., Chao, M. M. and Hong, Y.-y. (2010), One World, Just a Dream? Effects of the Beijing Olympic icon on perceived differences between Eastern and Western culture. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 13: 139–151. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-839X.2010.01309.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA;

  2. 2

    Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,

  3. 3

    Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; and

  4. 4

    Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

*Jennifer L. Rosner, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 East Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA. Email: jrosner2@illinois.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 20 MAY 2010
  2. Article first published online: 20 MAY 2010
  3. Received 26 July 2009; accepted 1 January 2010.

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (247K)

Keywords:

  • Beijing Olympic Games;
  • belief in a fixed society;
  • globalization;
  • nationalism/patriotism;
  • perceived cultural differences;
  • Sino-American relations

The Beijing Olympic Games, aspiring towards ‘One World, One Dream’, were intended to elicit feelings of international unity. As such, once reminded of the Beijing Games, people should perceive fewer differences between cultures. Alternatively, given its competitive nature, the Beijing Games may lead people to contrast cultures and see heightened intergroup differences. Findings supported the latter process. After being primed with the Beijing Olympic icon, Chinese and American participants high in nationalism and patriotism perceived greater differences between Chinese and American cultures, compared to those low in nationalism and patriotism. Among Chinese participants who believe society is malleable, exposure to the icon increased perceived cultural differences, compared with those unexposed to the icon. Chinese participants who believe society is fixed saw similarly high levels of differentiation between the cultures, whether or not they were exposed to the icon. Implications for Sino-American relations and globalization are discussed.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (247K)