original data Ne Zha 2 Overseas Chinese Primary Students Survey

This study investigates the psychological and cultural mechanisms underlying the cross-cultural communication of the Chinese animated film Ne Zha: The Demon Boy Churns the Sea (hereafter Ne Zha 2) among Chinese primary school students living in New Zealand. Drawing upon Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions, the research constructs and empirically tests a structural model to explore how cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors interact to shape communication outcomes. Based on 253 valid questionnaire responses, the findings reveal that Ne Zha 2 achieved a high viewing rate (98.02%) but only moderate communication intention (M = 3.366), indicating a coexistence of “high exposure and moderate willingness to share.” The relative importance of influencing factors was ranked as follows: comprehension level (β=0.210), viewing habits (β=0.200), cultural cognition (β=0.157), emotional resonance (β=0.156), and language barriers (β=−0.160). Furthermore, significant differences were observed across gender, age, duration of residence, and birthplace. The results demonstrate that Hofstede’s cultural dimensions exert both direct and indirect effects on cross-cultural media reception through mediating psychological variables. This research provides new empirical evidence for understanding cultural adaptation and identity negotiation in transnational media communication and contributes to the broader discussion on cultural psychology and global media effects.