To what extent do the Japanese recognize the transmission of value consciousness which occurs within the family? Do they recognize the influence of parents' to a greater extent than Americans do? This issue is explored through survey data from a sample of 1764 Japanese and 1500 Americans chosen by a random sampling method in both countries. Factor analysis was used to identify four commonly shared dimensions of value consciousness. The structure of transmission from parents was resulted in one dimension in both countries.
Results suggest that the Japanese respondents have a low level of transmission of value consciousness, if any at all, with the main route of transmission being covert (acquired through observation) rather than overt (verbally taught). The American respondents tended to put higher importance on parental influence than did their Japanese counterparts, and showed a higher inclination to influence their children during their educational years.
Japanese respondents felt less responsible for transmitting social values to younger generations than did the American respondents. This low level of transmission of value consciousness among the Japanese may have allowed for the difference in the perception of value consciousness between generations, and could also have widened it.