Adolescent romantic relationships in China and Canada: A cross-national comparison

This study compared the romantic involvements of Canadian and Chinese adolescents as well as linkages with friend and parental relationships. Participants were 496 Chinese adolescents and 395 Canadian adolescents, aged 16-17 years. Chinese adolescents were less likely to have any form of romantic involvement, including a romantic relationship, displayed lower levels of romantic experience, and had fewer close romantic relationships. Gender moderated cultural differences, with Chinese girls least involved in romantic experiences. Although friendships were more intimate in Canada and parent relationships were closer in China, the linkages of parental and friend relationships with romantic experience were quite consistent across the two cultures, with friends being positively linked to romantic experiences and parents indirectly linked through their connection to friends. Among Chinese adolescents, parents also directly connected with romantic experiences in a negative direction. Implications of the findings for understanding the interface between individual growth and cultural context are discussed.