Cross-Cultural Applicability of Contextual Family Therapy: Iranian and American College Students' Perceptions of Familial and Peer Relationships

Abstract

To examine the applicability of Contextual Family Therapy to non-western populations, a measure of the theory's central constructs of Trust/Justice, Loyalty, and Entitlement (the Relational Ethics Scale), was administered to a sample of 50 Iranian and 51 American college students studying in the same U.S. schools. The Iranian students reported significantly more vertical constructs (Familial) Trust/Justice and Entitlement, while the American students reported more horizontal (Closest Friend) Trust/Justice and Loyalty constructs in relationships. Finally, the women (25 of each nationality) in the sample, regardless of nationality, reported significantly greater Loyalty in their horizontal relationships than did men.