Abstract

This study compares the moral and social attitudes of Chinese and American populations using 19 questions from the World Values Survey (Wave 7, 2017-2022). The survey, employing a 10-point Likert scale, assessed perceptions of issues such as tax evasion, bribery, homosexuality, and violence. Welch’s t-test was used to determine significant differences in mean scores (p < 0.05). Results indicate that Chinese respondents exhibited stronger opposition to most moral issues, including tax evasion, bribery, homosexuality, and casual sex, while Americans were more opposed to claiming government benefits, wife beating, and child beating. These findings highlight cultural differences in ethical perspectives, with implications for cross-cultural policy and social understanding.

Keywords

moral issues, social attitudes, world values survey, china, United States, tax evasion, bribery, cultural differences, ethics, comparative study