Is autism stigma higher in South Korea than the United States? Examining cultural tightness, intergroup bias, and concerns about heredity as contributors to heightened autism stigma

Abstract

South Korea, a relatively collectivistic and homogeneous country with heightened cultural tightness, is believed to have particularly high levels of stigma toward autistic individuals, who sometimes engage in behaviors that diverge from social norms. This study investigated cross-cultural differences in autism stigma (assessed with a Social Distance Scale) in the United States and South Korea. Two-hundred and seventy-six American and 494 Korean participants who completed an online survey were included in the analysis. We conducted a multiple regression predicting autism stigma with variables that were correlated with stigma. Koreans reported greater autism stigma than Americans. Greater vertical individualism, lesser horizontal collectivism, less accurate autism knowledge, less pleasant and frequent previous contact with autism, concerns about the marriageability of family members, and higher cultural tightness predicted greater stigma. Cultural tightness, or an emphasis on social norms, which was heightened among Korean participants, contributed to greater autism stigma in South Korea. Findings highlight the need to increase autism knowledge and foster pleasant and frequent contact with autistic individuals, especially for those who accept inequality as a part of human interactions in both South Korea and the United States. Moreover, interventions that help Koreans understand the relativeness of social appropriateness may reduce autism stigma in South Korea. Lay abstract Misunderstandings about autism may be more common in South Korea than the United States. Koreans often have clear ideas about how people should act. Another way of saying this is that Korea has a tight culture. Americans are looser, meaning people are freer to act as they like. Autistic people often do not act as people expect them to. This makes autistic people stand out. Autistic people may stand out more in tight cultures like South Korea. We studied how people in South Korea and the United States feel about autism. We wanted to see why Korean people might reject autistic people more than people in the United States do. American and Korean people did online surveys. Koreans said they did not want to get close to autistic people more than Americans did. People who understood autism and had met and liked autistic people wanted to get closer to autistic people. We were surprised to learn that Americans said having an autistic brother or sister makes it harder to find a romantic partner more than Korean people did. People who believed that autism makes it harder for family members to find love did not want to get very close to autistic people. Koreans said people should act as expected more than Americans did. People who believed that acting as expected was important did not want to get very close to autistic people. Teaching people that there are many ways of being a good person may help them understand and appreciate autistic people.

Do Autistic People’s Support Needs and Non-Autistic People’s Support for the Neurodiversity Movement Contribute to Heightened Autism Stigma in South Korea vs. the US?

“…Recent research suggests that non-autistic people in South Korea are less willing to engage with autistic people than their counterparts in the United States (US; Kim et al, 2021 ) or the United Kingdom (UK; Mac Cárthaigh & Lopez, 2020 ). Planning to keep one’s distance from autistic people is an indicator of public stigma, which includes labeling people as different, stereotyping or making assumptions about differences, distinguishing between us and them, and discriminating against them (Goffman, 1963 ; Link & Phelan, 2001 ).…”

“…Many stigmatized people internalize stigma, viewing themselves as less than others. Given that internalized stigma contributes to poor mental health among autistic individuals (Botha & Frost, 2020 ), there has been increasing interest in understanding factors that contribute to stigma towards autistic people such as limited autism knowledge and/or contact with autistic people (e.g., Gillespie-Lynch et al, 2019 ; Kim et al, 2021 ).…”

“…An emerging body of cross-cultural research suggests that public autism stigma, measured by desired social distance with autistic individuals, is heightened in South Korea (Kim et al, 2021 ), Japan (Someki et al, 2018 ), Lebanon (Obeid et al, 2015 ), and Malaysia (de Vries et al, 2020 ) compared to the US or UK. This cross-cultural pattern aligns with speculation that stigma more generally may be higher in more collectivistic (i.e., prioritizing group harmony and cohesion) than individualistic (i.e., prioritizing independence and individual success) cultures (e.g., Papadopoulos et al, 2013 ).…”

“…However, associations between individuals’ cultural values and their desired social distance from autistic people do not support this interpretation. In Lebanon, South Korea, and the US, heightened individual-level horizontal collectivism (or valuing cooperation between ingroups) has been associated with decreased stigma, and heightened vertical individualism (or valuing individual attempts at dominance) has been associated with increased stigma (Gillespie-Lynch et al, 2019 ; Kim et al, 2021 ).…”

Autism in Saudi Arabia: Media and the Medical Model of Disability

“…Culture plays a significant role in which characteristics are considered socially unacceptable, stigmatisation of certain groups, and the expectation associated with autism [17]. Autistic individuals are among the most stigmatised group [18], which can result in autism being seen as a source of shame and disappointment [13]. Tang and Bie [17] further acknowledged that autistic people have experienced and continue to experience culture-specific stigmas such as discrimination, labelling, and rejection.…”