Abstract:

Based on values conflict theory, the current research explored contemporary college students’ mental conflict which resulted from the coexistence of materialism and Confucian traditional values in the social transformation period of China. Using a polygraph to register individual’s galvanic skin response (GSR) when they answered questions about the dilemmatic settings in which they faced different values-based choices, the study found that the interaction between materialism and Confucian traditional values was significant. Specifically, among subjects who were high in Confucian traditional values, the GSR elevated markedly when moving from the low to high materialism groups, while there was no such effect for those low in Confucian traditional values. The results indicate that college students with high levels of both materialism and Confucian traditional values will experience substantial mental conflict.