#12 Negative reinforcement

It is undeniable that having a Chinese upbringing more often than not has produced many upstanding members of society. Delinquent drivers aside, the steady production of legal, financial and health care professionals ensures the continued betterment of society (and the survival of Starbucks)

While child-rearing varies greatly from culture to culture, the difference in style between Western and Chinese culture when it comes to encouragement is similar to the difference between night and day. The method used by Chinese parents to encourage their children is known as 'negative reinforcement' which is defined as, "a behavior strengthened because a negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behavior."

This phenomenon can most commonly be observed when tests are returned to a Chinese student. With a score of 90% or greater, a non-Chinese parent would be ecstatic, with the test being worthy of center-fridge placement. In a Chinese household, it is almost guaranteed that the phrase, "Where did the other 10% go?" is uttered, most assuredly causing irreparable damage to the child's self-confidence. This barrage of negative reinforcement only ceases when marks are brought up to an acceptable level, such as 98%. This phenomenon can be extended into career situations where the phrase will change to "Why aren't you a doctor/lawyer/engineer yet?".

For non-Chinese looking to give their Chinese friends a hard time or display their knowledge of negative reinforcement, the phrase "Where's the other x%" is appropriate as a start. For situations where the test score is in the range of 80-90%, the one-two combo of , "So, that's like...Asian fail, right?" followed with, "Man, you're parents are gonna be PISSED" is suitable. This will either destroy their confidence forever or make you two BFF.

#6 Hoarding

Stemming from their long-standing love of saving money, Chinese people will often descend upon a sale like vultures to a carcass.

While non-Chinese also enjoy sales and saving money, Chinese people have learned (sometimes it's instinctual) to exploit and benefit from sales more than their non-Chinese counterparts. This is primarily accomplished through hoarding.

While hoarding was more widespread amongst the general populace leading up to Y2K, research shows that Chinese people had already been doing this for years. For example, if toilet paper was discounted by $2.00, it is safe to assume that a Chinese person will buy at least more than two packages. It is also safe to assume that the shopping cart will be full and multiple trips will be made (to circumvent the purchase limits imposed by the retailer). The guiding philosophy behind this behaviour is that non-perishable items or items with a long shelf-life are optimal for bulk purchase. A similar effect could be achieved at Costco, but this would require spending money (on a membership) unnecessarily.

While this approach has produced great savings amongst the Chinese community at large, sadly, many Chinese children have been adversely affected as a result. In an effort to please their offspring, Chinese parents will often buy bulk portions of a food that their children have expressed an affinity for. In the short-term all parties benefit, but in the long-run, children are forced to finish every last food item until the bitter end (despite their ever-changing palettes). This is accomplished through incessant nagging and guilt trips (to be discussed in a later post).
Popular choices for bulk purchase include toilet paper, facial tissue, pop, soup, rice and oil. While each Chinese family may have different criteria for hoard-worthy items, the overall purchase strategies are the same.

It should be noted that saving money is not limited to domestic purchases. The same theory also applies when Chinese People are visiting friends and/or family abroad. This behaviour can be baffling to Chinese children as the items packed into suitcases are often pedestrian and the gain in savings is marginal.

For non-Chinese looking to take advantage of "best price" situations, the best strategy is to befriend as many sale-savvy Chinese people as possible. This stratagem is the most effective, as sale information is known to disseminate among Chinese people at an exponential rate. With a vast network of bargain hunters on alert at all times, you'll never overpay for toilet paper again.