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Dr. Katherine Qianwen SUN
Postdoctoral Scholar
Anderson School of Business
University of California

This research investigates the interpersonal dilemmas East Asian international students face when sharing personal hobbies in U.S. professional contexts. While self-disclosure is a cornerstone of social connection in American settings, East Asian students often hesitate to reveal culturally distinctive interests, fearing miscommunication or social costs. Across four studies, I examine both the psychological barriers to hobby disclosure and the relational consequences of different disclosure strategies. In Study 1, East Asian students preferred to share culturally familiar hobbies but reported feeling less authentic when doing so compared to disclosing culturally distinctive hobbies. Study 2 shows that students disclosing culturally unfamiliar hobbies were perceived as more authentic and human than those sharing familiar or vague responses. Study 3 (currently running) aims to further demonstrate that rich culturalidentity expression—embedding personal meaning and cultural depth in a disclosure—amplifies these positive effects. Study 4 (planned), a chatbot-based interaction paired with a behavioral game, aims to replicate these findings in a more ecologically valid setting. Together, these results reveal the “hidden cost of playing it safe”: although East Asian students strategically favor safe disclosures, authentic sharing—particularly of culturally rich hobbies—fosters greater inclusion and connection, benefiting both individuals and organizations.