The present study examined the effects of adult attachment and cultural orientation on sacrifice behaviors and the corresponding emotional reactions, using a cross-cultural sample in the U.S. and China. Strain-tests protocol was utilized in this study, in which an individual (i.e., the asker) was asked to share with their romantic partner a personal goal that required a major sacrifice from their partner (i.e., the responder), and then entered a discussion to process their plan of carrying out this goal. The final sample included 115 couples from the U.S. and 99 couples from China. Results indicated that responder's attachment avoidance was negatively associated with sacrifice offered to their partners and they reported more positive emotions as a result. The interaction between attachment anxiety and nationality was significant. Specifically, in the U.S. sample, individuals with high attachment anxiety were more likely to offer sacrifice for their partners, but this effect was reversed in the Chinese sample. In addition, interdependent self-construal (ISC) was a significant moderator for the relation between attachment anxiety and sacrifice behavior. Individuals who endorsed higher ISC and higher anxious attachment were less likely to make sacrifice for their partner. Furthermore, when individual offered more sacrifice, they reported more positive emotions in general, but this effect was stronger in the Chinese sample than the U.S. sample. In addition, it was found that responders who endorsed higher ISC offered more sacrifice to their partner when asked to. These results advanced our understanding of the complex role of adult attachment in negotiating situations when partners in romantic relationships have different goals, as well as possible cultural differences in the expression of the attachment influences. The findings also highlighted the systemic perspective in understanding the roles of both partners' individual traits (i.e., attachment) and cultural values (i.e., interdependent self-construal) on their behaviors (i.e., sacrifice) in romantic relationships. Counseling implications, limitations, and future research directions were discussed.

In the course of figuring out one’s identity, the proactive manner in which an individual defines one’s self or builds one’s character is an important aspect of the venture. Markus and Kitayama (1991) described and contrasted interdependent self-construal and independent self-construal, two forms of self-construction. This paper presents the theoretical link between interdependent self-construal and psychological resilience. Identity development is viewed through the interdependent self-construal perspective and it is explained how interdependence provides an individual with more and better opportunities for identity development. Through a conceptual tie to self-compassion, interdependent self-construal may be a key component to experiencing psychological resilience.

Yes / Despite a substantial body of self-congruity (SC) research (cf. Aguirre-Rodriguez, Bosnjak, & Sirgy, 2012) two important questions remain open: First, does the SC effect apply beyond Western countries. Second, does individual level culture moderate the SC effect? This study contributes to SC theory by developing hypotheses on the validity of the four SC effects across East and West and by studying the moderating impact of the individual level cultural variable self-construals on those four effects. This study tests its hypotheses through a survey of over 1,600 consumers in an Eastern (India) and a Western (USA) country. Results show that the overall actual SC effect holds across East and West, while the ideal SC effect holds across contexts yet only for consumers with an independent self-construal. Meanwhile, the social SC effect holds in the Eastern but not in the Western context, while the ideal social SC effect does not hold in either context. Results further show a moderating effect of individual level culture on the SC effect, as the actual SC effect is stronger for interdependent consumers whereas the ideal SC effect is stronger for independent consumers across contexts. Finally, the findings of this study are used to advance managerial implications and to propose a refinement of SC theory.

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Recent studies have addressed the importance of identifying determinants of parental emotion socialization (ES) to clarify how and why parents engage in ES practices. Furthermore, emotions occur within cultural contexts. Recent work has drawn attention to the importance of cross-cultural research for developmental science. Consistent with these calls for research, I examined parents' beliefs about emotions and self-construals as two sets of distinct factors guiding parental ES responses in China and the United States (US). Three emotion-related beliefs (manipulation [children can use emotions to manipulate parents]; parental knowledge [parents have to know all about their child's emotions]; autonomy [children can work through emotions on their own]) and two self-construals (independence [view self as unique entity]; interdependence [view self as connected with others]) were highlighted. One hundred seven parents with 7- to 11-year-old children (75 Chinese, 32 US; 90 mothers, 17 fathers) completed online questionnaires in their native language. MANCOVA analyses indicated cultural differences. Compared with Chinese parents, US parents less strongly endorsed beliefs about manipulation, parental knowledge, and autonomy. US parents endorsed more supportive and less nonsupportive responses towards children's emotions than Chinese parents. There was a trend for Chinese parents to endorse more interdependence than independence in self-construals, whereas no within-person difference was found for US parents' endorsement of these two self-construals. For both Chinese and US parents, beliefs about emotions and self-construals were significantly associated with ES responses. Linear regressions showed that parents' stronger manipulation belief was associated with higher nonsupportive responses to positive and negative emotions. Parents with stronger parental knowledge or autonomy beliefs reported more supportive responses to negative emotions and explanations of positive emotions. Stronger belief in parental knowledge was also related to more endorsed encouragement of positive emotions and lower nonsupportive responses to negative emotions. After controlling for the effects of beliefs, parents with higher interdependent self-construal reported more supportive responses to negative emotions and more explanatory responses to positive emotions. Parents who endorsed higher independent self-construal reported more encouraging responses to positive emotions and less nonsupportive responses to negative emotions. Results are discussed in relation to meaning and significance within socio-cultural contexts. / Doctor of Philosophy / Parental emotion socialization (ES) refers to the process through which parents socialize children's social and emotional competence. Parents from different cultures may enact different ES practices. To better clarify the cross-cultural similarities and differences as well as to better understand how and why parents endorse various ES practices, I conducted the current study. I worked with Chinese and US families and examined how parents' beliefs and perceptions of self (self-construal) as guiding factors were associated with parental ES responses to children's emotions. I focused on three beliefs about emotions: manipulation (children can use emotions to manipulate parents); parental knowledge (parents need to know all about their child's emotions); autonomy (children can handle emotions on their own) and two self-construals: independence (view self as unique entity); interdependence (view self as connected with others). One hundred seven parents (75 Chinese, 32 US; 90 mothers, 17 fathers) participated and their children were 7- to 11-year-old. Parents completed online questionnaires in their native language. I found cultural differences in parents' beliefs and ES responses. Compared with Chinese parents, US parents believed less strongly in children using emotions as manipulations, in parents knowing all about their child's emotions, and in children being able to work through emotions on their own. US parents reported more supportive and less nonsupportive responses to children's emotions than Chinese parents. I found no cultural differences in how parents' beliefs and self-construals associated with their ES responses. For both Chinese and US parents, the more strongly they believed children using emotions to manipulate others, the more nonsupportive responses they endorsed towards children's emotions. Parents' stronger beliefs in parents knowing their child's every emotion and in child's own capability of handling emotions were both related to their more supportive and exploratory responses to children's emotions. In terms of the effects of parents' self-construals, the higher parents viewed themselves as connected to others, the more support and explanation they reported in reaction to children's emotions. Meanwhile, the higher parents viewed themselves as unique and independent, the more encouraging and less nonsupportive responses towards children's emotions they reported. Overall, findings contributed to the understanding of parental ES within the cultural context in relation to parents' beliefs about emotions and perceptions of self.

To identify potential determinants of emotion socialization (ES) in the socio-cultural context, the current study examined a moderated mediation model whereby parents’ independent and interdependent self-construals were proposed to moderate associations of parents’ beliefs about children’s emotions with parents’ ES, which in turn relate to children’s social competence. Seventy-five Chinese parents (65 mothers, 10 fathers) with children in middle childhood (43 girls, 32 boys; Mage=9.18, SD=1.26) completed translated Chinese versions of the Parents’ Beliefs about Children’s Emotions Questionnaire, the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale, the Parental Reactions to Children’s Positive Emotions Scale, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Self-Construal Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. Measurements were modified to include ego-focused and other-focused positive and negative emotions (i.e., pride, warmth, anger, and shame/guilt). Bivariate correlations, hierarchical multiple regressions, and exploratory analyses using the PROCESS macro were conducted. Parents endorsed both independent and interdependent self-construals, and on average reported significantly higher interdependent than independent self-construals. Chinese parents’ endorsement of independent self-construal may make their beliefs about ego-focused emotions more salient, thereby inducing ES responses aligned with their beliefs. Parents’ interdependent self-construal was related to their ES to other-focused emotions. Chinese parents’ nonsupportive reactions to children’s anger and pride were related to children’s social competence, which suggests that the inhibition of emotions may have some adaptive functions in Chinese society. Overall, findings contributed to the understanding of parental ES in Chinese families and emphasized the role of parents’ self-construal as an individual-level indicator of cultural values in the ES process. / M.S. / Centered around the process through which parents socialize children’s social and emotional competence (emotion socialization, ES), the current study examined how parents’ beliefs about children’s emotions associated with their ES reactions, how their beliefs together with their perceptions of self (self-construal) related to their ES reactions, and how their ES reactions associated with their children’s behaviors in a Chinese sample. Seventy-five Chinese parents (65 mothers, 10 fathers) with children from 7- to 11-year-old (43 girls, 32 boys) completed Chinese versions of questionnaires about their beliefs about children’s emotions, their ES reactions, their self-construal, their perceptions of children’s behaviors, and some demographic information. The associations aforementioned were tested. Chinese parents perceived themselves as both unique entities (independent self-construal) and connected with others (interdependent self-construal), with a higher level of interdependent self-construal. Parents’ endorsement of independent self-construal may spotlight their beliefs about children’s pride and anger, which in turn induce more ES reactions that are consistent with their beliefs. Parents’ interdependent self-construal was related to their ES reactions to children’s feelings of love and shame/guilt. Parents’ nonsupportive reactions to children’s anger and pride were related to children’s higher competence, which suggests that Chinese society may endorse the inhibition of emotions. Overall, findings contributed to the understanding of cross-cultural differences of parental ES between American and Chinese families and the impact of their perceptions of self on their ES reactions.

Abstract The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate and compare the effects of coworkers¡¦ relational demographic similarities and guanxi base on coworkers¡¦ helping behavior. Moreover, the mediation mechanisms of social liking between coworkers¡¦ relational demographic similarities and helping behavior, and guanxi obligation between coworkers¡¦ guanxi base and helping behavior were examined. Furthermore, the moderation effect of interdependent self on the relationship between relational demographic similarities and helping behavior, and the moderation effect of individual traditionality on the relationship between guanxi base and helping behavior were examined. There were three studies in this dissertation, and the data were collected by scenario experimental design combined with questionnaire survey. The subjects were working employees sampled from different industries. Results showed that both coworkers¡¦ relational demographic similarities and guanxi base have significant effects on the interpersonal-related helping behavior, but not on work-related helping behavior. Moreover, the mediation effects of social liking towards coworker, and guanxi obligation were significant in both study 1 and study 2. The moderation effect was not significant in study 1, but was significant in study 2. The individual traditionality moderated the relationship of guanxi base and guanxi obligation. The results of study 3 showed that coworkers with guanxi base have stronger effect on both interpersonal-related and work-related coworkers¡¦ helping behavior than coworkers with relational demographic similarities. The results were discussed and the limitations and suggestions for future research were proposed.

abstract: What is the effect of decision-making-style (maximizer versus satisficer) and an interdependent-versus-independent self-construal on the subjective happiness of Native Americans? One hundred seventy-nine Native American adult community members were administered the Maximization Inventory, the Self-Construal Scale, and the Subjective Happiness Scale. Correlations between variables in addition to multiple regression analyses were conducted with predictors of decision making style, self-construal, gender, annual income, traditionalism, and Native language ability with subjective happiness as the dependent variable. These variables explained a significant amount of the variance of subjective happiness for this sample of Native Americans. The most variance was explained by satisficing. Maximizing was associated with unhappiness. Individuals with greater satisficing tendencies also tended to be more interdependent. Higher income was positively associated with happiness and negatively associated with maximizing. Interdependence did not have an effect on happiness. However, independence increased happiness while having no effect on maximizing. No gender differences were found for maximizing. Traditionalism and Native language ability were not associated with satisficing nor interdependence. Limitations, implications for counseling, and future directions are explored. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Counseling Psychology 2015

abstract: Research on cultural socialization, the process in which individuals learn messages regarding the traditions and values of their culture (Hughes et al., 2006), has dedicated little attention to Latinx and Asian American groups. This study examined whether an interdependent self-construal (i.e., viewing oneself as connected to others and endorsing behaviors that depend on others; Singelis, 1994) was a mediator between cultural socialization and ethnic identity for these two groups. The current study utilized mediation analyses to explore the associations between cultural socialization via different agents (i.e., parents, teachers, romantic partners, peers), interdependent self-construal, and ethnic identity exploration and commitment for Latinx (N = 258, 68.6% female, Mage = 20.54) and Asian (N = 281, 66.5% female, Mage = 20.34) American college-attending emerging adults. Results revealed that for the Latinx sample, interdependent self-construal mediated the relation between cultural socialization and ethnic identity exploration or commitment in regards to parents and peers, but not teachers. In addition, interdependent self-construal mediated the association between cultural socialization from romantic partners and ethnic identity commitment, but not exploration. For the Asian American sample, interdependent self-construal mediated the association between cultural socialization and ethnic identity exploration or commitment in regards to romantic partners and peers, but not parents and teachers. These results highlight the important role of different cultural socialization agents in ethnic identity formation for these two groups and suggest that the endorsement of cultural values can be a mechanism through which ethnic identity is strengthened. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Counseling Psychology 2017

人生在世，無不期望幸福，而目標的達成是一個人幸福的來源。從文化與自我相互建構的觀點，不同文化下的人擁有不同自我建構（獨立自我vs.相依自我），而追求不同的目標，因此其幸福感的來源基礎應當有所不同。過去的文獻都指出，華人社會是一個集體主義的社會（相對於北美的個人主義），華人的自我是一種相依式的自我；與他人的相融和諧應當是華人重要的幸福感來源。然而，筆者假設：在文化交流頻繁的情況下，當代華人應當同時具有兩種自我建構的特色，一方面，獨立自我可能透過整體自尊而獲得其幸福感，相依自我則以與他人的相融和諧為其幸福感來源。筆者也對自尊的概念作一初步的釐清，認為相融和諧也可以成為個人整體自尊來源，進而影響個人主觀幸福。筆者讓425位參與者接受自我建構（包括獨立自我與相依自我）、整體自尊、相融和諧、以及主觀幸福感（包括生活滿意、正向情緒、負向情緒）等量表的施測，結果發現：當代以台灣為代表的華人，確實兼有相依自我與獨立自我建構的特色，而徑路分析的結果也支持了前述的假設。本研究也發現：自我建構量表的因素分析結果，獨立自我的部分可以抽成兩個因素，一為自我表達，一為追求獨立；進行階層迴歸分析後，發現除了相依自我外，善於自我表達也是有助於與人相融和諧的因素。最後，筆者除了對本研究的反省與限制作一討論外，也提出一些未來可能的研究方向。 / Subjective well-being (SWB) or happiness, which is acquired from achieving one’s goals, is the ultimate motivator for all humans. The theory of self-construals states that people from different cultures have different self-construls (independent vs. interdependent), and pursue different cultural imperatives or everyday life tasks (goals). It has been pointed out that Chinese people have interdependent self-construl, which emphasizes fitting in and maintaining harmonious relationships with important others. However, the author hypothesized that the two views of the self might coexist in Chinese people in Taiwan in the face of the vast-scale cultural invasion from the West. The independent self was proposed to be the predictor of SWB, acting through the mediating variable of global self-esteem, whereas the interdependent self to be predictor of SWB, acting through the mediating variable of fitting-harmony (which means fitting in and maintaining harmonious relationships with important others). It was also hypothesized that fitting-harmony might be an important domain on which self-esteem is contingent; therefore, self-esteem is expected to mediate the effect on SWB for those higher in fitting-harmony. 425 participants completed the self-construl scale, self-esteem scale, fitting-harmony scale, and SWB scale. It was found that the two self-views coexist in Chinese people in Taiwan and the results of path analyses supported the hypotheses described above. Moreover, the result of exploratory factor analysis of self-construal scale showed that the items for independent self could be divided into two factors: self-expression and independence-pursuit. In addition to interdependent self, self-expression was also a significant predictor of fitting-harmony. The results, limitations, and future directions were discussed.