Culture, Self & Personality

1. Culture, Self & Personality CH 11

2. Self • Self-concept or self-construal • In an individualistic culture, self is a bounded entity that consists of a number of internal attributes (needs, abilities, motives, rights, etc.) • Independent construal of self: individuals focus on personal, internal attributes • “The squeaky wheel gets the oil” • In a collectivist culture, the “fundamental connected ness of human beings is generally assumed • Interdependent construal of self: the self is unbounded, flexible, and contingent on context and finely tuned interpersonal relationships. • “The nail that sticks up gets pounded down”

3. Independent Internally guided Individualism Pride “False uniqueness” (the tendency for individuals to underestimate the commonality of desirable traits and to overestimate their own uniqueness) Embarrassment Interdependent Extended responsibilities Family or group expectations “Face” Harmony Shame Motivations

4. Definitions • Socially engaged emotions: Emotions that lead to behaviors that enhance the perceived interdependence of self with relevant others • Indigenous emotions: Culturally-specific and unique • “Fago”: Among Ifaluk people of Micronesia, a combination of compassion, love and sadness • “Amae”: Within Japanese culture, a desire or expectation for others’ indulgence or favor

5. Definitions • Filial piety: A sense of duty and obligation to family members, especially parents. This is especially strong in Asian and other collectivist cultures • Cultural psychology: Culture and personality are mutually constructed, dynamically interacting

6. CONTEXT • High context cultures expect behaviors and cognitions to be responsive to context (Japan) • Low context cultures emphasize and value consistency and stability across contexts (USA) *****