Abstract

There are not only similarities but also differences on the depth and width of interpersonal relationship of Chinese and Americans. There are mainly two aspects in the depth dimension, which are family relationships and friend relationships, and three aspects in the width dimension, which are communication style, attitudes toward strangers, and chances of meeting new people respectively. In this thesis, the two dimensions of interpersonal relationships of the two countries will be compared and analyzed through the research of many examples and statistics. Factors that have shaped the different depth and width of interpersonal relationship in China and America will accordingly be discussed.

Key words:  Interpersonal relationship, depth, width

摘 要

中国人与美国人在人际关系深度层面与广度层面有相同点也有不同点。深度层面主要包括两个方面的深度,亲人关系的深度,朋友关系的深度；广度层面包括三个方面,交流风格的开放程度,对陌生人的态度以及接触陌生人的频率。本论文将通过具体案例与数据，在中国人与美国人关系深度与广度两个层面进行对比，并在对比的基础上分析影响这两个层面的三个因素。
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关键词：人际关系；深度；广度

1 Introduction
America currently has the strongest economy, while China has the largest population and its rate of economic growth is the fastest in the world. The two countries communicate frequently both on micro and macro levels. Thus it is practical to analyze the similarities and differences of interpersonal relationships of the two countries.
Many people in China have done a lot of research on this subject. But it seems that nobody has analyzed the two dimensions of interpersonal relationship of the two countries, depth and width, or in other words, quality and quantity. So in this thesis, the two dimensions of interpersonal relationships of the two countries will be compared and analyzed. All conclusions will be drawn from those real-world examples and statistics. So the findings in this thesis will be useful in helping Chinese and Americans understand and communicate with each other better.
2 Demonstration
2.1 The comparison on the depth of interpersonal relationship
In Webster dictionary the definition of depth is: “a profound or intense state, the degree of intensity”. In this thesis depth of interpersonal relationship means the relation closeness or quality of the relationships. Here two kinds of relationships will be compared and analyzed respectively: family relationship and friend relationships.