Interdependent Self-concept Research Articles

The ecology of relatedness: How living around family (or not) matters.

How does living in an environment with many or few family relatives shape our psychology? Here, we draw upon ideas from behavioral ecology to explore the psychological effects of ecological relatedness-the prevalence of family relatives in one's environment. We present six studies, both correlational and experimental, that examine this. In general, people and populations that live in ecologies with more family relatives (Studies 1-4b), or who imagine themselves to be living in such ecologies (Studies 2/3a/3b/4b), engage in more extreme pro-group behavior (e.g., being willing to go to war for their country), hold more interdependent self-concepts, are more punishing of antisocial behaviors (e.g., support the death penalty for murder), identify themselves as more connected to and trust nearby groups (e.g., their community and neighbors) but less so distant groups (e.g., foreigners, the world), and also judge sibling incest as more morally wrong. These effects are examined across three countries (the United States, Ghana, the Philippines) and are robust to a range of controls and alternative explanations (e.g., ingroup preferences, familiarity effects, kinship intensity). The current work highlights the psychological effects of an underexamined dimension of our social ecology, provides a set of methods for studying it, and holds implications for understanding the ecological origins of a range of social behaviors and cultural differences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Self and counterfeit consumption in emerging markets

urpose: This research has focused on independent and interdependent self-concepts of fake self & pretentious consumption in counterfeit consumption. In this research role of self in the case of fake consumption in the emerging market of Bangladesh has been revealed Research methodology: For this study, qualitative research has been undertaken. Ethnographic and netnographic approaches have been used. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with the participants. The participants were approximately equal as far as gender was concerned. The participants were between 20-35 years old; 80% were students, and 20% were employed. The snowball sampling technique was used for sample selection. Participants were selected for the final interview after the initial screening to know the pattern of their behavior, preferences, and experience with counterfeit & luxury brands. The Facebook profiles of these participants were studied to find photos, posts, shares, and preferences for counterfeit and luxury brands. Results: The results reveal that consumers feel their missing self, which means they understand they don't have appropriate possessions, and the extended self means a self that is created by external objects, some particular possessions considered as a part of them. As a result, they try to show their imaginary self, which means they try to copy others, but when they fail, they start to show their fake self through counterfeit consumption. Limitations: The research is conducted within Bangladesh only. Contribution: This research has focused on the patrons of the emerging market of Bangladesh. Findings have been revealed through a projective technique using word and picture associations. The iterative hermeneutic method has been used for data analysis. The research results conclude that variation in self affects the inauthentic consumption behaviors of patrons in the emerging market of Bangladesh.

Cultural modulation effects on the self-face advantage: Do Caucasians find their own faces faster than Chinese?

The self-face advantage (SFA) is reflected through a faster recognition of a self-face compared with familiar and unfamiliar faces. Nevertheless, as Westerners and East Asians tend to present differences in self-concept styles, it is possible that the SFA is modulated by culture. The present study explored this possibility using a visual search task. British Caucasians and Malaysian Chinese participants were asked to search for frontal view images of self, friend, and unfamiliar faces among an array of unfamiliar faces. Regardless of race, participants were more accurate and faster in searching for the own face and friend's face compared with an unfamiliar face, with no differences in the search between the own and friend's face, and these findings could not be accounted by the cultural differences in self-concept (i.e., operationalised by scores from the Independent and Interdependent Self-Concept Scale and the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale). Altogether our results suggest that culture does not modulate the SFA and that this effect is better explained by a familiar face advantage.

Developing High Affect-Based Trust in U.S.-China Business Negotiations

Through an empirical study of 60 Chinese executives in the U.S. and Hong Kong, Chinese executives hired by American corporations are found to develop high affect-based trust with their Chinese counterparts through appropriate monitoring processes and four key tactics according to their shared interdependent self-concepts. They seldom transfer their affect-based trust to the relationships between American and Chinese negotiators unless they perceive themselves as having more power over the entire negotiation process and more accountability for the implementation of the project after the negotiation. These executives prefer to compartmentalize themselves and develop high cognitive-based trust with their American teammates. American corporations must understand the importance of establishing affect-based trust through appropriate monitoring processes according to the interdependent self-concepts. They must expect to change their routine American practices that are grounded in independent self-concepts if they want to see higher levels of success in U.S.-China business negotiations.

Crossing back over the Rubicon: Collectivistic value orientation and independent self-concept jointly promote effective goal revision in task groups

When the ultimate goal of the group is found to be unattainable via the chosen means (i.e., a subgoal), effective goal management requires group members to disengage from that failing subgoal and reengage with a feasible alternative. The present study investigated the combined role of group members’ value orientation and their self-concept in collective goal revision in task groups. In a laboratory experiment involving 55 three-person groups, we induced either a collectivistic or individualistic value orientation and made salient either an independent or interdependent self-concept. As expected, groups that combined a collectivistic value orientation and an independent self-concept were less likely to be entrapped in a failing subgoal and more likely to reengage with the ultimate group goal via an available alternative. Also as expected, this effect was mediated by the degree of goal-related reflection among the members during group interaction. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

The psychology of social class: How socioeconomic status impacts thought, feelings, and behaviour.

Drawing on recent research on the psychology of social class, I argue that the material conditions in which people grow up and live have a lasting impact on their personal and social identities and that this influences both the way they think and feel about their social environment and key aspects of their social behaviour. Relative to middle‐class counterparts, lower/working‐class individuals are less likely to define themselves in terms of their socioeconomic status and are more likely to have interdependent self‐concepts; they are also more inclined to explain social events in situational terms, as a result of having a lower sense of personal control. Working‐class people score higher on measures of empathy and are more likely to help others in distress. The widely held view that working‐class individuals are more prejudiced towards immigrants and ethnic minorities is shown to be a function of economic threat, in that highly educated people also express prejudice towards these groups when the latter are described as highly educated and therefore pose an economic threat. The fact that middle‐class norms of independence prevail in universities and prestigious workplaces makes working‐class people less likely to apply for positions in such institutions, less likely to be selected and less likely to stay if selected. In other words, social class differences in identity, cognition, feelings, and behaviour make it less likely that working‐class individuals can benefit from educational and occupational opportunities to improve their material circumstances. This means that redistributive policies are needed to break the cycle of deprivation that limits opportunities and threatens social cohesion.

Exploring the impact of self-construal and cultural intelligence on alcohol consumption: implications for social marketing

There is enormous cross-cultural variation in alcohol choices and drinking behaviour. Because of the inherent differences in historical drinking culture, as well as differences in alcohol policy globally, similarities and differences in drinking patterns have long been a focus of interest among public health and social marketing researchers. Thus, the purposes of this study are (1) to explore differences between groups (Australian and non-Australian-born respondents) on self-construal, cultural intelligence and alcohol consumption and (2) to investigate the impact of self-construal and cultural intelligence on alcohol consumption in Australia. Data for this study were collected through a large public university in Australia (N = 669). The paper found that people with interdependent self-concept were less likely to drink alcohol than people with independent self-concept and cultural intelligence was not significantly related to hazardous alcohol use, harmful alcohol use and dependence symptoms. Variations between Australian-born and overseas-born groups were evident. Limitations of the current study and an agenda for future research are outlined. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Role of Cultural Attributes on Consumer Ethics

The total number of international migrants has increased significantly in the last 10 yearsnsuch that people are faced with various ethical situations in their new host country, which challengentheir previous moral philosophies. Studies have found that culture is one of the most importantnvariables influencing ethical decision-making. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role ofnself-concept (i.e. independent and interdependent) and cultural intelligence on consumer ethics inntwo cultures, Australia and Indonesia. With a total sample of 1,142 respondents, the analysesnshowed that the interdependent self-concept influenced all dimensions of consumer ethics whilencultural intelligence had an effect on attitudes toward lrecyclingr and ldoing goodr toward others.nThe findings have important implications for businesses, marketers, and policymakers to developnbetter strategies to include consumersr ethical characteristics.n

The role of self-construal in resisting tobacco smoking

We interpreted depth interviews and personal observations of 29 Tongan and New Zealand European (NZE) women who self-identified as non-smokers to examine the role of self-construal in the creation and maintenance of their smoking-resistant identities. Our research offers substantive contributions to the smoking prevention literature because most prior work has been situated wholly within Western cultural contexts. We contribute methodologically by showing how a multicultural team-based approach can reap the advantages of interviewer–participant congruity whilst overcoming its limitations, thus paving the way for more fruitful qualitative research with minority groups. Our research also contributes theoretically to the self-construal literature by comparing the role of self-construal not just within the two groups but also across them. Our findings show that independent self-construal played a significant role in NZE women's resistance to smoking. However, for Tongan women, both independent and interdependent self-construals played important roles in their smoking resistance. Our findings both confirm and extend the current view that there are marked differences between collectivist and independent societies. We extend this view because our findings contradict the notion that Tongan women are likely to only use an interdependent self-concept when deciding to resist smoking, suggesting instead that Tongan women negotiate their self-construals in ways that allow them to employ the positives from both Tongan values and Western world views. We suggest that future appeals to Pacific women to resist smoking should draw on both traditional Pacific values and modern Western independence.

The Revised Multidimensional Model of Māori Identity and Cultural Engagement (MMM-ICE2)

We update and validate the revised Multidimensional Model of Māori Identity and Cultural Engagement (MMM-ICE2) by including a seventh Perceived Appearance subscale. The MMM-ICE2 is designed to assess the subjective experiences, efficacy and evaluation of different facets of identity for Māori (the indigenous peoples of New Zealand). Confirmatory Factor Analysis of an online Māori community sample (N = 276) supported the revised seven-factor model assessing Group Membership Evaluation, Cultural Efficacy and Active Identity Engagement, Interdependent Self-Concept, Spirituality, Socio-Political Consciousness, Authenticity Beliefs, and the new Perceived Appearance subscale. The Perceived Appearance subscale was internally reliable and predicted unique variation in perceived discrimination and mixed ethnic affiliation as both Māori and European when adjusting for the other MMM-ICE2 subscale scores. The MMM-ICE2 is a public domain, quantitative self-report measure for use in statistical models to predict and understand the outcomes and protective function of different aspects of identity for Māori.

Moderating Role of Consumer Self-Concept on the Effectiveness of Two Nostalgia Appeals

Existing empirical studies suggest that evoked nostalgia about a brand is positively related to attitude toward the brand. However, it is unlikely that nostalgia appeals are universally effective. Therefore, this research investigates two types of consumer nostalgias—individualistic nostalgia and collectivistic nostalgia— and examines how the relative effectiveness of these two nostalgia appeals is moderated by consumer self-concept (independent versus interdependent). Based on a two-phase study with time-honored Chinese brands, we reveal that, for consumers with an independent self-concept, an individualistic nostalgia appeal is more effective than a collectivistic nostalgia appeal, whereas for consumers with an interdependent self-concept, a collectivistic nostalgia appeal is more effective than an individualistic nostalgia appeal.

Why do Caucasian advertising models appeal to consumers in Taiwan?

To test the influence of model ethnicity on advertising effectiveness in East Asia, this research proposed a cue-triggered value-expressive model, according to which positive attitudes towards western models help consumers with independent self-concepts express themselves. Western models generated more favourable ad responses (ad credibility, diagnosticity and attitudes), promoted stronger self–brand connections and led to more favourable brand attitudes than did Asian advertising models among independent respondents in Taiwan. In contrast, consumers with interdependent self-concepts did not exhibit such differences. Independent self-concepts also consisted of two sub-dimensions: horizontal individualism focused on the desire to be different, and vertical individualism centred on the desire to be superior. The former dimension accounted for the enhanced effects of western models. Three experiments confirmed that expressing positive attitudes towards these advertising models served value-expressive functions among consumers with uniqueness self-concepts when they read ads promoting products that were publicly (Study 1 and 3) or privately (Study 2) consumed.

The multi-dimensional model of Māori identity and cultural engagement: Item response theory analysis of scale properties.

We argue that there is a need for culture-specific measures of identity that delineate the factors that most make sense for specific cultural groups. One such measure, recently developed specifically for Māori peoples, is the Multi-Dimensional Model of Māori Identity and Cultural Engagement (MMM-ICE). Māori are the indigenous peoples of New Zealand. The MMM-ICE is a 6-factor measure that assesses the following aspects of identity and cultural engagement as Māori: (a) group membership evaluation, (b) socio-political consciousness, (c) cultural efficacy and active identity engagement, (d) spirituality, (e) interdependent self-concept, and (f) authenticity beliefs. This article examines the scale properties of the MMM-ICE using item response theory (IRT) analysis in a sample of 492 Māori. The MMM-ICE subscales showed reasonably even levels of measurement precision across the latent trait range. Analysis of age (cohort) effects further indicated that most aspects of Māori identification tended to be higher among older Māori, and these cohort effects were similar for both men and women. This study provides novel support for the reliability and measurement precision of the MMM-ICE. The study also provides a first step in exploring change and stability in Māori identity across the life span. A copy of the scale, along with recommendations for scale scoring, is included.

Anger Elicitation in Tonga and Germany: The Impact of Culture on Cognitive Determinants of Emotions

The cognitive appraisal of an event is crucial for the elicitation and differentiation of emotions, and causal attributions are an integral part of this process. In an interdisciplinary project comparing Tonga and Germany, we examined how cultural differences in attribution tendencies affect emotion assessment and elicitation. Data on appraising causality and responsibility and on emotional responses were collected through questionnaires based on experimentally designed vignettes, and were related to culture-specific values, norms, and the prevailing self-concept. The experimental data support our hypothesis that – driven by culturally defined self-concepts and corresponding attribution tendencies – members of the two cultures cognitively appraise events in diverging manners and consequently differ in their emotional responses. Ascription of responsibility to self and/or circumstances, in line with a more interdependent self-concept, co-varies with higher ratings of shame, guilt, and sadness, whereas ascription of responsibility to others, in line with a less interdependent self-concept, co-varies with higher ratings of anger. These findings support the universal contingency hypothesis and help to explain cultural differences in this domain on a fine-grained level.

Between the mass and the class: Antecedents of the “bandwagon” luxury consumption behavior

This paper examines the impact of a number of psychological factors on consumers' propensity to engage in the “bandwagon” type of luxury consumption. It develops and empirically confirms a conceptual model of bandwagon consumption of luxury products. In general, results show that a consumer's interdependent self-concept underlies bandwagon luxury consumption. This relationship is mediated by the level of a consumer's status-seeking predispositions, susceptibility to normative influence and need for uniqueness. The study concludes that these psychological constructs explain well a large part of bandwagon luxury consumption and can be used as inputs in the development of marketing strategies.

Self-concept and Decision-making Styles: A Comparison between Young Korean and American Consumers

The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in self-concepts and their influence on decision-making styles in apparel shopping across two cultures; namely, Korea and the United States. Data is obtained from university students in both countries (3 universities in Korea and 2 universities in the United States), generating a sample size of 1,166. The questionnaire consists of three parts: decision-making styles for apparel shopping, selfconcepts, and demographic information. The results indicate that Korean respondents have higher interdependent self-concepts than the American respondents. Moreover, the selfconcepts of young consumers have significant effects on their decision-making styles. This study also finds that the self-concepts of young consumers from both countries has a significantly different impact on decision-making styles for apparel shopping. The similarities and/or differences of the relationships between self-concepts and decisionmaking styles of young Korean and American consumers are also found when such relationships are examined within each country. This study makes a unique contribution to enhancing the understanding of contemporary global consumer behavior by exploring relationships in culture, self-concepts, and decision-making styles of young consumers.

Making unique choices or being like others: How priming self-concepts influences advertising effectiveness

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that priming independent and interdependent self-concepts affects responses to advertisements. In Experiment 1, for a privately consumed product, the influence of product assortment size on ad effectiveness was moderated by the accessibility of these self-concepts. Experiment 2 replicated this finding for a publicly consumed product and also examined an additional ad feature, consensus information. Ad effectiveness was enhanced by larger product assortment only when the independent self-concept was primed and by the presence of consensus information only when the interdependent self-concept was primed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Message framing and interpersonal orientation at cultural and individual levels

On the basis of self-regulatory goals literature, this study predicts that persons with independent and interdependent self-concepts may respond differently to messages with promotion and prevention frames, though the effect may apply only to highly involved persons. The findings confirm these hypotheses at the cultural level (Experiment 1) and the individual level (Experiment 2), showing that greater product involvement increases the effectiveness of self-concept congruent but not incongruent message framing. In addition to the consequence valence explored in Experiment 1, prior research identifies compliance as another important dimension of message framing. Because people with a prevention-/promotion-oriented self-regulatory focus are sensitive to the presence and absence of negative/positive consequences, the superior effects of congruent message framing for highly involved persons should exist regardless of whether the messages emphasise compliance or noncompliance. Experiment 2 confirms these expectations in a collectivistic culture.

Why are childlike portrayals appealing in East Asia?

This study compares the effectiveness of childlike and adult-like portrayals in Taiwan and the US. It is argued that culturally shaped self-concepts affect responses to ads using these two types of portrayal. Childlike portrayals should exert a positive influence on ad evaluations in cultures where such images are generally relevant to and congruent with the self-concept. Findings of an experiment showed that, in both cultures, childlike portrayals were perceived as friendlier than adult-like portrayals. Taiwanese participants, however, whose interdependent self-concepts focus on interpersonal relations and harmony, reported more warm feelings and a stronger self–brand connection, as well as more favourable attitudes towards the ad and the brand, following exposure to the childlike portrayal. In contrast, American participants did not respond to the two portrayals differently, presumably because they found the childlike image to be less relevant to their independent self-concepts.

Individuality or Conformity? The Effect of Independent and Interdependent Self-Concepts on Public Judgments

When both independent and interdependent self‐concepts are available, priming either self‐concept will increase the accessibility in memory of the motivations and cognitions associated with it. Thus, priming the interdependent self may activate motivation to maintain harmony and conform to others’ opinions, whereas priming the independent self is likely to activate motivation to be independent and to withstand social pressure. Two experiments investigated implications of these possibilities for judgments of risk when participants anticipated (or not) explaining their judgments to others. Participants relied on others’ beliefs only when their interdependent self was primed and they expected they might have to explain their judgments to others. When their independent self was primed, expectations to communicate theirjudgments had no effect. Culture‐based differences in individualism vs. collectivism had no impact on these effects.