Measure Of Self-construal Research Articles

Self-construals, conflict styles, and religious identification in India

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the relationships between self-construals, religious identification, and conflict styles in India. Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered in India (n=1,108) among Hindus (n=744) and Muslims (n=364) in various organizations throughout India. Conflict styles were measured using Oetzel's conflict style measure. Self-construal was measured using Singelis' self-construal measure. Pearson correlations and multiple regressions were conducted. Findings – Correlation analysis showed significant negative correlation between the independent and interdependent self-construal. Multiple hierarchical regression modeling demonstrated significant interactions between religious identification, self-construal, and conflict style. Hindus are more likely to dominate in conflict situations, while Muslims are more likely to avoid conflict and prefer more group-oriented conflict styles. Research limitations/implications – Self-report measure is a possible limitation and the sample is religiously homogeneous. Practical implications – The results of this study could assist community organizers and others who work in conflict mediation resolve conflict among religious groups. Originality/value – Few studies have examined conflict styles in India and this study employs a macro and micro-level approach to the study of conflict.

Examining the dimensionality of self-construals and individualistic–collectivistic values with random intercept item factor analysis

The construct of self-construal and its counterpart, individualistic and collectivistic (I–C) values, have been widely studied in cross-cultural research. Although theorists often conceptualize the two self-construals (independence-interdependence) as being bipolar to each other, empirical research has found that these construals are orthogonal. The current research re-visits the dimensionality of self-construals and I–C values using random intercept item factor analysis, a statistical procedure used to control for acquiescence bias. Our results (N=524 in Study 1; N=22,402 in Study 2) suggest that acquiescence bias exists consistently in the self-construal measure and the I–C values measure, and that independence and interdependence, as well as I–C values, correlate slightly negative with but are not entirely opposite to each other. This result supports the bidimensionality model for both self-construals and I–C values. Our findings have substantial implications for the future conceptualization and measurement of self-construals.

We Blame Innocent Victims More Than I Do: Self-Construal Level Moderates Responses to Just-World Threats

This study investigated the impact of self-construal levels on people's tendency to blame innocent victims for the victims' fates. The authors hypothesized that when the belief in a just world is threatened, social self-construal is associated with more victim blaming than individual self-construal is. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were primed with either the individual self (with the word I) or the social self (with the word we). Results indeed showed that when threats to just-world beliefs were high, social self-activation produced more victim blaming than individual self-activation did. This effect was not found when just-world threats were low. Extending on these findings, Experiment 3 revealed that, following a just-world threat, an independent self-construal measure was negatively related to victim blaming, and an interdependent self-construal measure was positively related to victim blaming. It is concluded that self-construal levels are important to understanding the justice motive.

On feeling understood and feeling well: The role of interdependence

The present research examined whether people feel happier and healthier when they feel more understood in daily social interactions. A two-week diary study showed that people reported greater life satisfaction and fewer physical symptoms on days in which they felt more understood by others. Moreover, we found that individuals who tend to see themselves in relations to others (i.e., women or those scored high on interdependent self-construal measure) showed a stronger association between daily felt understanding and daily life satisfaction or physical symptoms. These findings demonstrate that daily social experiences, such as felt understanding, are associated with daily well-being, particularly for individuals with greater interdependent self-construal.