Effect Of Self-construal Research Articles

Resonating with others: the effects of self-construal type on motor cortical output.

"Self-construal" refers to how individuals view and make meaning of the self, and at least two subtypes have been identified. Interdependent self-construal is a view of the self that includes relationships with others, and independent self-construal is a view of the self that does not include relations with others. It has been suggested that priming these two types of self-construal affects the cognitive processing style that an individual adopts, especially with regard to context sensitivity. Specifically, an interdependent self-construal is thought to promote attention to others and social context to a greater degree than an independent self-construal. To investigate this assertion, we elicited motor-evoked potentials with transcranial magnetic stimulation during an action observation task in which human participants were presented with either interdependent or independent self-construal prime words. Priming interdependent self-construal increased motor cortical output whereas priming independent self-construal did not, compared with a no-priming baseline condition. These effects, likely mediated by changes in the mirror system, essentially tune the individual to, or shield the individual from, social input. Interestingly, the pattern of these self-construal-induced changes in the motor system corroborates with previously observed self-construal effects on overt behavioral mimicry in social settings, and as such, our results provide strong evidence that motor resonance likely mediates nonconscious mimicry in social settings. Finally, these self-construal effects may lead to the development of interventions for disorders of deficient or excessive social influence, like certain autism spectrum and compulsive imitative disorders.

Warm Glow or Cold, Hard Cash? Social Identity Effects on Consumer Choice for Donation versus Discount Promotions

Across five studies, the authors investigate how social identification influences consumer preference for discount-based promotions (i.e., cents-off deals) versus donation-based promotions (in which purchase results in a donation to a charitable cause). In doing so, they demonstrate the interplay between self-construal and a specific social identity (i.e., that associated with the particular charity featured in a donation-based promotion) on consumers' preferences for these two types of promotions. The results show that, in general, consumers possessing interdependent self-construals prefer donations to a greater extent than those with independent self-construals. However, the findings further indicate that these effects of self-construal are attenuated if (1) the donation-based promotion does not involve a charity that is identity congruent or (2) a cause-congruent identity is more salient than self-construal at the time of decision making. The authors also identify boundary conditions of charity efficiency and product type for these self-construal effects. In addition to demonstrating how multiple identities interact to influence consumer promotion preferences, the authors discuss important managerial implications regarding the use of discount versus donation-based promotions.

Effects of Self-Construals and the Need for Closure on Self-Other Evaluations

Effects of Self-Construals and the Need for Closure on Self-Other Evaluations

Reframing the Cultural Differences between the East and the West

This study proposes that the fundamental cultural differences between the East and the West lie in a holistic-analytic worldview, and this new perspective can explain the cultural differences better than collectivism-individualism. To test the claim, this study developed a measurement for holism and its derivative, cognitive relativity. Then, it examined the degree of holism, cognitive relativity, and independent and interdependent self-construals with Korean and American college students. Results showed that (a) Koreans had a stronger holistic worldview than Americans, (b) Koreans maintained a higher degree of cognitive relativity than Americans, (c) Koreans and Americans did not differ in either independent or interdependent self-construals, and (d) the impact of holism was still strong after controlling for the effects of self-construals.

“I Can Be Happy Even When I Lose the Game”: The Influence of Chronic Regulatory Focus and Primed Self-Construal on Exergamers' Mood

This research explored the effects of priming interdependent self-construals (collective self ) versus independent self-construals (private self ) on exergame players' mood in response to negative performance feedback. An experiment was conducted to test the interaction effects of self-construal priming as a situational factor and game players' chronic regulatory focus as an individual difference factor. To this end, the author leveraged a video-game console (Wii) and an exergame (Dance Dance Revolution) in a controlled, randomized 2 x 2 (experimental priming: interdependent self-construal vs. independent self-construal x game players' chronic promotion regulatory focus: low vs. high) between-subjects factorial design experiment (N = 58). The results of a two-way analysis of variance demonstrated the proposed interaction effect between primed self-construal and game players' chronic regulatory focus on the game players' mood in response to negative performance. The theoretical mechanism underlying the two-way interaction is explicated by regulatory focus and the primed self-construals is explicated by regulatory focus theory and two-basket theory. Practical implications for game developers and theoretical contributions to video-game research are discussed.

The “me” I claim to be: Cultural self-construal elicits self-presentational goal pursuit.

In 12 studies, respondents with an independent (vs. interdependent) self-construal showed an increased tendency and readiness to present themselves as skillful and capable and a decreased tendency and readiness to present themselves as socially sensitive and appropriate. This emerged in the form of differential scores on direct measures of self-presentation-self-deceptive enhancement and impression management (Study 1), differential social sensitivity in a gift-giving scenario (Study 2), differential performance on questions assessing general knowledge (Studies 5-6) and etiquette (Studies 7-8), and different choices between tests purportedly measuring one's self-reliance versus social-appropriateness (Studies 9A and 9D). These relationships were observed when participants focused on their own self-presentational concerns but disappeared when participants focused on others' outcomes (Study 3) or when they had a prior opportunity to satisfy their goals via self-affirmation (Studies 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9B, 9D). Finally, self-construal effects were eliminated or reversed when participants were led to doubt their ability to achieve their self-presentational goals (Study 9C).

Self-construals and conversational indirectness: A Dutch perspective

Abstract Individuals of different cultures vary in terms of how they use language in verbal interactions. In a previous study by Hara and Kim [(2004). The effect of self-construals on conversational indirectness. International Journal of Intercultural Relations , 28 , 1–18] it was found that people's self-construals were related to the expression and interpretation of verbal messages. Their findings showed a positive relation between people with more interdependent self-construals and more indirectness in conversations, while the relation between people with more independent self-construals and the tendency to speak indirectly was negative. A limitation of their study was that it relied solely on data from students taking courses on speech communication. Moreover, to enhance cross-cultural validity of their results data should be gathered among people of other ethnic backgrounds as well. Therefore, the main purpose of the present study was to replicate their findings by making use of another kind of student sample within a different culture. A total of 548 students at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, participated in this study. In general, the results confirmed the previous findings by Hara and Kim [(2004). The effect of self-construals on conversational indirectness. International Journal of Intercultural Relations , 28 , 1–18], enhancing the cross-cultural validity of the relation between self-construals and conversational indirectness. However, while Hara and Kim [(2004). The effect of self-construals on conversational indirectness. International Journal of Intercultural Relations , 28 , 1–18] could not establish a relation between independent self-construal and indirectness in interpreting verbal messages, in this study a positive relation was found. Possible explanations for these contradictory results are discussed and recommendations for future research are made.

The effects of self-construals and embarrassability on predicament response strategies

The purpose of this study was to discover the relationship between self-construals, embarrassability, and predicament response strategies such as apologies, excuses, justifications, and denials. It was predicted that independent self-construals would be negatively correlated with embarrassability, which, in turn, would lead to the higher likelihood of using more assertive predicament responses such as justifications or denials. On the other hand, it was proposed that interdependent self-construals would be positively correlated with embarrassability, which, in turn, would lead to the higher likelihood of using more mitigating predicament responses such as apologies and excuses. One hundred and eighty students at the University of Hawaìi participated in this study which consisted of reading two hypothetical situations involving self-induced social predicaments and then rating the likelihood of using the corresponding predicament response statements. The participants were also given Leung and Kim's [1997. A modified version of self-construal scale. Manoa: University of Hawaìi] revised self-construal scale and Modigliani's [1968. Embarrassment and embarrassability. Sociometry, 31, 313–326] embarrassability scale. As expected, interdependent self-construals were positively correlated with embarrassability, which in turn, led to the greater likelihood of use of apologies and excuses; however, the expectation for independent self-construals to be negatively correlated to embarrassability was not borne out by the data. Additionally, the relationship between self-construals and embarrassability was not significantly linked to justification or denial. Discussion of these results and suggestions for future research is provided.

The effect of self-construals on conversational indirectness

Individuals are different in terms of how they express what they mean and interpret others’ messages. This study looks at an individual's preference for expressing meaning directly or indirectly, along with their tendency to look for indirect meanings in others’ messages. Holtgraves (J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 73 (1997) 624) proposes the concept of “conversational indirectness” which consists of two dimensions: interpretation and production of indirect meaning. This study expanded on previous studies of indirectness by using Holtgraves’ Conversational Indirectness Scale to focus on the effect of self-construals on two dimensions of conversational indirectness. A total of 268 students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa participated in this study. The results indicated that both dimensions of conversational indirectness were positively associated with interdependent self-construal, and the dimension of production was negatively associated with independent self-construal. The implications of the results of the hypotheses and communication practice are discussed.