A Replication of Xu & Burleson (2001) “Effects of Sex, Culture, and Support Type on Perceptions of Spousal Social Support: An Assessment of the ‘Support Gap’ Hypothesis in Early Marriage”

In response to recent calls regarding the social sciences’ “replication crisis,” we have endeavored to replicate Xu and Burleson’s (2001) research study, “Effects of Sex, Culture, and Support Type of Perceptions of Spousal Support: An Assessment.” This study, which examines the support gap hypothesis and its different manifestations among men and women from the United States of America and China, has contributed greatly to scholarly conversations on social support, sex, culture, and support gaps. Results from our study partially replicate Xu and Burleson’s (2001) original findings and provide general empirical evidence for the support gap hypothesis. Differences in findings between the two studies and their implications are discussed.