Self-Construal Among Chinese Youth: Its Temporal Trend and Its Relationships with Socioecological Factors, 2006–2022

The authors examined whether independent or interdependent self-construals were associated with the way in which individuals pursued personal goals. Individuals with an independent self-construal orient toward personal-goal pursuit, whereas individuals with interdependent self-construal prioritize in-group goals above personal ones. The authors used a 1-week, prospective goal-setting paradigm. The present results revealed that interdependent self-construals were significantly associated with introjected reasons for pursuing goals, experiencing conflict among goals, and achieving less goal progress. Independent self-construals were significantly associated with intrinsic and identified reasons for goal pursuit and greater goal progress. There was some evidence that the relation of interdependent and independent self-construals to goal progress was mediated by goal conflict and goal intrinsic motivation, respectively. The present results also replicated previous research indicating the goal-setting benefits of intrinsic motivation, implementation intentions, and goal harmony.

<p>Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is defined in this thesis as the intentional, culturally unacceptable, self-performed, immediate and direct destruction of bodily tissue that is of low-lethality and absent of overdose, self-poisoning and suicidal intent. DSH is a serious mental health problem among young people internationally (Hawton et al., 2006; De Leo & Heller, 2004) and is associated with multiple maladaptive psychological and social outcomes (D'Onofrio, 2007; Hawton et al., 2006). This thesis utilised secondary school student (N=2068), teacher (N=109), guidance counsellor (N=8), and university student (N=2063) populations to assess factors relating to interpersonal and intrapersonal vulnerability to DSH, and how DSH is received and understood within young peoples' environment. Study 1 presents psychometric analyses, descriptive statistics and basic inferential statistics of surveys developed for secondary school student and university student populations. These surveys measured history of DSH and multiple correlates of DSH behaviour. Assessing the psychometric qualities of these surveys informed their later use in developing regression models of DSH in Study 2. Study 2 assessed predictors and functions of DSH behaviour using a variety of samples and methodologies. Study 2.1 presents cross-lag and structural equation models of DSH, where the most consistent direct predictor of DSH was low self-esteem, which was proximally impacted by internalising symptoms, and more distally by alexithymia and low mindfulness. Study 2.2a investigated functions of DSH, and how this related to psychological wellbeing. Engaging in DSH for emotional relief or control was associated with the poorest wellbeing among females (i.e. higher rates of DSH, sexual abuse and bullying), while engaging in DSH for multiple reasons was associated with the poorest wellbeing among males (i.e. higher rates of DSH, bullying, abuse history, and low resilience). Study 2.2b qualitatively investigated reasons given for youth DSH by secondary school students, university students, and secondary school teachers using content analysis; DSH was most often attributed to emotional issues (e.g. externalising emotional pain). Study 2.3 assessed the relationships between DSH, emotional experience, self-defeating thoughts, coping strategies, and substance abuse over a six week period with a sample of university students. DSH was linked to having more self-defeating thoughts and general negative emotional experience, as well as having more negative, and less positive, emotions during salient events. Study 3 investigated social responses to DSH through interviews with eight secondary school guidance counsellors (Study 3.1), and a survey study on stereotypes and attitudes towards DSH (Study 3.2). A thematic analysis was conducted on the interview transcripts, indicating that DSH was commonly viewed as immature, attention seeking, abnormal and dangerous. The interviews suggested stigma in secondary schools towards DSH and fear and resistance around engaging the issue. The stereotypes and opinions survey was conducted with secondary school students, teachers and university students to assess common stereotypes of self-harmers, and willingness and confidence to help youth who self-harm. DSH was viewed negatively by all sample groups. Many participants felt unable and incompetent to help youth who self-harm. Across youth samples lifetime prevalence rates for DSH were consistently in the range of 39-49%. Overall the findings suggest that DSH is heterogeneous, with numerous possible factors contributing to vulnerability. Knowledge from this thesis can be applied to prevention of DSH (e.g. assisting youth with internalising symptoms and low self-esteem), intervention (e.g. teaching emotional coping strategies) and increasing social awareness and understanding to counter stereotypes and thereby ease disclosure.</p>

<p>Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is defined in this thesis as the intentional, culturally unacceptable, self-performed, immediate and direct destruction of bodily tissue that is of low-lethality and absent of overdose, self-poisoning and suicidal intent. DSH is a serious mental health problem among young people internationally (Hawton et al., 2006; De Leo & Heller, 2004) and is associated with multiple maladaptive psychological and social outcomes (D'Onofrio, 2007; Hawton et al., 2006). This thesis utilised secondary school student (N=2068), teacher (N=109), guidance counsellor (N=8), and university student (N=2063) populations to assess factors relating to interpersonal and intrapersonal vulnerability to DSH, and how DSH is received and understood within young peoples' environment. Study 1 presents psychometric analyses, descriptive statistics and basic inferential statistics of surveys developed for secondary school student and university student populations. These surveys measured history of DSH and multiple correlates of DSH behaviour. Assessing the psychometric qualities of these surveys informed their later use in developing regression models of DSH in Study 2. Study 2 assessed predictors and functions of DSH behaviour using a variety of samples and methodologies. Study 2.1 presents cross-lag and structural equation models of DSH, where the most consistent direct predictor of DSH was low self-esteem, which was proximally impacted by internalising symptoms, and more distally by alexithymia and low mindfulness. Study 2.2a investigated functions of DSH, and how this related to psychological wellbeing. Engaging in DSH for emotional relief or control was associated with the poorest wellbeing among females (i.e. higher rates of DSH, sexual abuse and bullying), while engaging in DSH for multiple reasons was associated with the poorest wellbeing among males (i.e. higher rates of DSH, bullying, abuse history, and low resilience). Study 2.2b qualitatively investigated reasons given for youth DSH by secondary school students, university students, and secondary school teachers using content analysis; DSH was most often attributed to emotional issues (e.g. externalising emotional pain). Study 2.3 assessed the relationships between DSH, emotional experience, self-defeating thoughts, coping strategies, and substance abuse over a six week period with a sample of university students. DSH was linked to having more self-defeating thoughts and general negative emotional experience, as well as having more negative, and less positive, emotions during salient events. Study 3 investigated social responses to DSH through interviews with eight secondary school guidance counsellors (Study 3.1), and a survey study on stereotypes and attitudes towards DSH (Study 3.2). A thematic analysis was conducted on the interview transcripts, indicating that DSH was commonly viewed as immature, attention seeking, abnormal and dangerous. The interviews suggested stigma in secondary schools towards DSH and fear and resistance around engaging the issue. The stereotypes and opinions survey was conducted with secondary school students, teachers and university students to assess common stereotypes of self-harmers, and willingness and confidence to help youth who self-harm. DSH was viewed negatively by all sample groups. Many participants felt unable and incompetent to help youth who self-harm. Across youth samples lifetime prevalence rates for DSH were consistently in the range of 39-49%. Overall the findings suggest that DSH is heterogeneous, with numerous possible factors contributing to vulnerability. Knowledge from this thesis can be applied to prevention of DSH (e.g. assisting youth with internalising symptoms and low self-esteem), intervention (e.g. teaching emotional coping strategies) and increasing social awareness and understanding to counter stereotypes and thereby ease disclosure.</p>

This study investigated the cultural influences on creative and conforming behavior. Three sets of hypotheses were developed. First, it was predicted that there was a negative association between creative and conforming behavior (Hypothesis 1). Second, it was predicted that cultural individualism-collectivism had a positive impact on independent self-construal (Hypothesis 2A) and a negative impact on interdependent self-construal (Hypothesis 2B). Third, it was predicted that independent self-construal had a positive impact on creative behavior (Hypothesis 3A) and a negative impact on conforming behavior (Hypothesis 3B) and that interdependent self-construal had a negative impact on creative behavior (Hypothesis 3C) and a positive impact on conforming behavior (Hypothesis 3D). These hypotheses were embedded in a theoretical model of behavior with cultural individualism/collectivism as the antecedent variable, independent and interdependent self-construals as the mediating variables, and creative and conforming behaviors as the outcome variables. To test this theoretical model of behavior, 158 White undergraduates from Australia (who represented individualistic members) and 186 Chinese undergraduates from Singapore (who represented collectivistic members) responded to a survey containing relevant scales to measure the constructs in this study. SEM results provided support for this theoretical model of behavior, as well as for the various hypothesized relationships embedded within it. On the basis of these significant findings, the need to consider the cultural context when promoting individual creativity was highlighted.

Several studies have found evidence that social information processing is strongly influenced by the person either primarily defining his or her self as an autonomous entity (independent self-construal) or as related to other people (interdependent self-construal). In this chapter, we describe the psychological mechanisms by which independent and interdependent self-construals affect individual experience. We propose the Semantic Procedural Interface (SPI) model of the self, which distinguishes two such mechanisms. In addition to differences in the semantic content areas from which independent and interdependent self-construals arise (semantic application mechanism), there are also different procedural modes of thinking (procedural application mechanism) associated with them. Independent self-definitions coincide with the tendency to process stimuli unaffected by the context in which they appear. Relating the self to the social contexts within interdependent self-construals facilitates context-bounded thinking (i.e., processing stimuli by paying attention to their relation to the given context). The results of several experiments attesting to the value of the differentiation between both application mechanisms are presented. We discuss how far differences in information processing between members of different cultural groups can be traced back to the mechanisms described in the SPI model.

Individuals can be personally affected, and motivated to empathize with victims, when viewing television coverage of natural disasters. This study examined how individuals' independent and interdependent self-construals influence how they view and respond to disaster coverage. The findings demonstrated that interdependent and independent self-construals had significant effects on individuals' self-reported psychological intrusion and concern for victims. Additionally, TV viewing motives (i.e., instrumental and ritualized) were found to mediate the relationship between interdependent self-construal and personal responses.

Incidence of NSSI rises during adolescence and peaks in young adulthood. Secondary school and university students, representing these age groups, have been the focus of research on how emotion regulation strategies impact NSSI. However, a comprehensive study of the interrelations among different symptoms is needed. Research based on network analysis, a questionnaire survey on emotion regulation strategies and NSSI was conducted with 378 secondary school students and 593 first-year university students, all of whom reported a history of engagement in NSSI. The results indicated that Cognitive reappraisal symptoms showed a positive or no correlation with NSSI, while expressive suppression symptoms demonstrated a negative or no correlation. Secondary school and university students using cognitive reappraisal or expressive suppression also tended to use the other type of emotion regulation strategy simultaneously. In secondary school NSSI groups, core symptoms were linked to cognitive reappraisal, while in university groups, they were linked to expressive suppression. Intervention targets for NSSI in secondary school students included “I keep my emotions to myself”, and for university students, “I control my emotions by not expressing them.” Research reveals a complex mechanism underlying the link between NSSI and emotion regulation strategies in university and secondary school students, offering valuable insights for promoting the psychological health of adolescents and youths.

Self-construals and health communications: The persuasive roles of guilt and shame

Summary This study examined the effect of both independent and interdependent self-construals on Asian immigrants' psychological well-being in the U.S., using a community sample of adult Koreans. Given that society rewards certain behaviors and attitudes that are consistent with the valued social norms, an independent view of self that matches the expectation of American society was hypothesized to promote Korean immigrants' psychological well-being. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that Korean immigrants with a highly independent self-construal expressed significantly less depressive symptoms and significantly more life satisfaction than those with a less independent self-construal. Furthermore, as was also expected, an interdependent view of self that is valued in many Asian cultures did not hinder Korean immigrants' psychological well-being, controlling for the correlates of these immigrants' mental health and self-construals. The results underscore the importance of self-conceptions in cross-cultural adaptation, and suggest the need of future research focusing on the potential benefits of both types of self-construal for Asian immigrants in the U.S.

Much of the prior research investigating the influence of cultural values on performance ratings has focused either on conducting cross-national comparisons among raters or using cultural level individualism/collectivism scales to measure the effects of cultural values on performance ratings. Recent research has shown that there is considerable within country variation in cultural values, i.e. people in one country can be more individualistic or collectivistic in nature. Taking the latter perspective, the present study used Markus and Kitayama's (1991) conceptualization of independent and interdependent self-construals as measures of individual variations in cultural values to investigate within culture variations in performance ratings. Results suggest that rater self-construal has a significant influence on overall performance evaluations; specifically, raters with a highly interdependent self-construal tend to show a preference for interdependent ratees, whereas raters high on independent self-construal do not show a preference for specific type of ratees when making overall performance evaluations. Although rater self-construal significantly influenced overall performance evaluations, no such effects were observed for specific dimension ratings. Implications of these results for performance appraisal research and practice are discussed.

This study examined relationships among ethnicity, self-construals, and 2 risk factors for marital violence (anger, insecure attachment) in Korean American and European American male batterers. Korean (vs. European) American batterers experienced more anger and controlled their anger less. Independent self-construal was positively associated with anger experience and anger control and mediated the influence of ethnicity on anger control. Korean batterers were less independent, and less independent batterers controlled their anger less. Korean batterers' attachment styles were more avoidant and less anxious. Independent and interdependent self-construals were negatively associated with anxious and avoidant attachment, respectively. Independent self-construal mediated the influence of ethnicity on avoidant attachment. Clinical severity and adherence to traditional gender roles may help explain these ethnic and cultural variations.

The present studies demonstrated the moderation of self-construal orientation on mimicry. Recent research has indicated that an interdependent self-construal is associated with assimilation of the other to the self whereas an independent self-construal is associated with minimizing the influence of others on the self (H. R. Markus & S. Kitayama, 1991; D. Stapel & W. Koomen, 2001). Therefore, the authors hypothesized that an interdependent self-construal would be associated with more mimicry than an independent self-construal. When self-construal orientations were experimentally primed, as in Studies 1 and 2, independent self-construals produced less nonconscious mimicry than interdependent self-construals. When self-construals were examined as cultural differences with either a chronically dominant independent (Americans) or interdependent (Japanese) construal of the self, these results were replicated.

Literature shows that East Asians hold a more complex interactionist theory regarding behavior and are held to reason holistically. This assumption makes East Asians believe that human behavior is always jointly determined by their personality and situation and that everything in the universe is related to everything else in some way. Therefore, East Asians possess relatively sophisticated attributional schemata, display greater hindsight bias, and are less susceptible to the correspondence bias, etc. However, these lines of research share the same limit—they only compare country differences; nevertheless, they tend to interpret these differences with theoretical concepts such as self-construals, collectivism-individualism, and holism. This study aimed to investigate the association among interdependent and independent self-construals, collectivism-individualism, holistic and analytic reasoning, attributional complexity, and behaviors. Study 1 investigated the association between culture and personality. In Study 2, participants were separated by interdependent self-construal, collectivism, holism, and attributional complexity. However, we didn’t have the same results with cross-culture researches. To exclude the confounding of tasks, we used an open-end task in Study 3—participants freely listed reasons for life events. Study 3 provided evidence that prosessing the East Asian cultural tendency could predict that individuals generated more external causes for explanation of life events: Individuals with higher interdependent self-construal or higher collectivism spontaneously attributed life events to the context. Besides, individuals with higher attributional complexity listed more reasons for life events. We think that there are some other ways that can explain the results found by past cross-culture research. If we use more appropriate measures and tasks, we will find that individuals with higher East Asian culture tendency spontaneously produce more external causes. This result may compensate for the insufficiency of cross-culture research.

ObjectiveThis research conducted two studies in South Korea to explore the relationship between smokers’ self-construals and the types of cigarettes they use, emphasizing their combined effects on cessation campaign effectiveness.MethodsStudy 1 explored how smokers’ self-construals influenced their intentions to quit smoking or vaping, considering their primary cigarette usage. Study 2 further investigated this relationship within cessation campaigns, employing messages framed by both self-construal (independent vs. interdependent) and cigarette type (combustible vs. electronic).ResultsThe results of Study 1 showed that individuals with a strong interdependent self-construal were more likely to express intentions to quit smoking or vaping when using e-cigarettes compared to combustible cigarettes. Similarly, Study 2 demonstrated that cessation messages for e-cigarettes were more effective in eliciting intentions to quit when presented with an interdependent self-construal frame, while messages for combustible cigarettes showed greater effectiveness with an independent self-construal frame.ConclusionCampaigns solely focused on independent self-construals might not effectively persuade e-cigarette users to quit, as they may prioritize communal wellbeing over individual benefits. Adapting anti-e-cigarette campaigns to align with the values of interdependent self-construals could yield better outcomes in promoting cessation among e-cigarette users.

Research on the leisure of racial and ethnic groups has recently been criticized for a variety of different reasons. In response to some of these concerns, this article examines the motivations of outdoor recreationists who identify themselves as being Chinese ( n = 53); it compares their motivations with those of Euro-North Americans ( n = 180) at the same outdoor setting; and it does so using the construct of self-construal as an intervening variable between ethnicity, acculturation, and motivations for outdoor recreation. According to Markus and Kitayama (1991), individuals with independent self-construals value being unique, expressing themselves, and promoting their own goals, whereas individuals with interdependent self-construals value belonging, fitting in, and promoting others' goals. Furthermore, although people in or from Western Europe and North America are more likely to have independent self-construals, people in or from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Southern Europe are more likely to hold interdependent self-construals. On the basis of the above, a series of regressions were conducted. Results suggest that (a) ethnicity does affect both types of self-construal; (b) ethnicity does affect four outdoor recreation motivations directly, although this relationship is usually, but not always, mediated by self-construal; (c) ethnicity does affect four other recreation motivations indirectly, either through the interdependent self-construal or through both types of self-construal; and (d) with Chinese respondents, acculturation did affect one recreation motivation directly and, through the independent self-construal, two other motivations indirectly.