Culture and the Social Clock: Cultural Differences in the Optimal Timing of Life

Abstract

People typically hold personal views regarding the appropriate age ranges for significant life events, such as starting college, getting married, or having kids. Such socially prescribed timetables have been termed the social clock. In this paper, we investigate how and why the rigidity (or flexibility) of the social clock may vary across cultures. In three studies (two preregistered), participants from China and the United States were asked to provide the earliest and the latest ages they think appropriate for engaging in several life events. We operationalized the social clock’s rigidity as the width of the time windows for these life events. We found notable cultural differences: The social clock was more rigid in China than in the United States, and filial piety beliefs are likely explanations for these differences. We further assessed the anticipated negative self-conscious emotions associated with deviation from the social clocks. Societal implications and future directions were discussed.