| Abstract: | Chinese and American nationals participated in an experimental internation simulation as a test of Bronfenbrenner's mirror image hypothesis. Perceptions of own and opposing nations were measured for (1) a rebel movement, and (2) a large power fighting a rebel movement in a foreign nation. The effects of information availability (relevance), and of increasing threat from a third power were also investigated. It was found that evaluative mirror image perceptions of the opposing nation as “bad” and one's own as “good” were easily established. Mirror image perceptions of “they are the aggressors” were found for Chinese, but not for Americans. Information relevance had only limited effects. Threat from a third power produced, in general, decreased mirror image perceptions for subjects representing the large power, but did not affect subjects representing the rebel movement. |
