How Do Bulgarians Understand the Experience of Interpersonal Arguing?

Abstract

The paper reports the results from a study of how Bulgarians understand the experience of interpersonal arguing. The study was conducted among 287 Bulgarians (39% male, 61% female), having an average age of 37 years. We assessed their motivations, understandings and emotional reactions related to interpersonal arguing, as well as their tolerance of status inequalities in society, and their willingness to argue at work. Poland and Ukraine were natural comparisons because of their shared political histories in the last several generations. We also did a comparison with the U.S., as a general standard of comparison because our theories and measures originated in the U.S. We found that: 1) there were very few sex differences between the male and female Bulgarian respondents; and 2) on the whole, Bulgarians were less concerned with any relational consequences from interpersonal arguing. These results were interpreted in relation to certain specifics of Bulgarian culture such as the high gender inequality index and the low level of interpersonal trust.