Two studies were conducted to present two new theoretical constructs based on narcissistic personality and Daoist water-like personality research. Narcissistic group orientation (NGO) was developed to incorporate both the grandiose and vulnerable expressions of narcissism into a group-oriented social variable. NGO is pathological group orientation with two distinct expressions that share a common etiology in social identity monopolization. The conditions that promote social identity monopolization and ultimately increase the salience of the particular self-category, differ amongst the grandiose and vulnerable expressions of NGO. The grandiose expression increases salience of a particular self-category to facilitate opportunistic use for self-enhancement, while the vulnerable expression increases salience of a particular self-category to facilitate threat detection and avoidance. Water-like group orientation (WGO) was developed to provide a measure of secure in-group positivity which is in contrast to defensive in-group positivity. WGO is a prosocial group orientation that is based on the Daoist principle of wuwei (non-action) or underacting which is conceived here as a lack of desire for control. Study 1 aimed to provide support for the factor structure of the newly developed scales and provide evidence of validity. The results of confirmatory factor analyses in Study 1 and Study 2 supported a two-factor NGO model and a two-factor WGO model. The two-factor NGO model is made up of a grandiose narcissistic group orientation (GNGO) factor and a vulnerable narcissistic group orientation (VNGO) factor. WGO Factor 1 (WGOF1) is an in-group confidence and satisfaction factor, and WGO Factor 2 (WGOF2) is an out-group respect and altruism factor. Study 1 also gathered evidence of convergent validity for both the NGO and WGO constructs. Both GNGO and VNGO exhibited positive correlations with social dominance orientation and blind patriotism, and negligible correlations with constructive patriotism. WGOF1 exhibited positive correlations with social dominance orientation and blind patriotism, and a negligible correlation with constructive patriotism. WGOF2 exhibited negative correlations with social dominance orientation and blind patriotism, and a positive correlation with constructive patriotism. Study 2 sought to gather support for the factor structure of NGO and WGO once again and to examine the relationship between GNGO, VNGO, WGOF1, and WGOF2 with a multicomponent measure of in-group identification that includes solidarity, satisfaction, centrality, self-stereotyping, and in-group homogeneity. GNGO, VNGO, and WGOF1 were positively related to all five in-group identification components, while WGOF2 was unrelated to all five in-group identification components. The NGO and WGO scales may be used to study groups who are experiencing acute or ongoing intergroup conflict, intense scrutiny, or aggressive groups. These scales may be used to develop a greater understanding of group and environmental characteristics that lead to defensive in-group positivity.

This dissertation explores the socio-cognitive system of collective influences on consumers’ evaluation and decision processes, which have not been discussed fully in consumer literature, by examining how people resolve a conflict between group orientation and trait regulatory focus. It is proposed that, depending on the interaction between group commitment and collective efficacy, consumers implement one of three conflict resolution processes (i.e., depersonalization, compliance, and self-preservation) to determine the outcome of their regulatory shift. The impact of these three conflict resolution processes on regulatory shift and following message evaluations are tested with a series of six experiments. The results of these studies showed that people shift their regulatory orientation from trait regulatory focus to group orientation if the group identity is strong enough (experiment 1 and 2), the impact of group orientation on message evaluation is stronger when group members have higher group commitment (i.e., depersonalization; experiment 3 and 4) or experience higher collective efficacy (i.e., compliance; experiment 5), and people experience regulatory non-fit when they follow compliance process and generated less favorable message evaluations than when they follow depersonalization process (experiment 6). These findings highlight the importance of understanding group influence on a consumer’s mindset that consequently affects his/her various psychological processes and consumption behaviors.

Laotian American students attending universities across the U.S. are first-, second-, and third-generation American. This generation status, along with their families' unique immigration experiences, likely impacts their adjustment to college. Data from the 2000 U.S. Census indicates a very low representation of Laotian Americans (7.6%) in the cluster of Asian Americans who have attained at least a Bachelor?s degree (42.7%). This low representation calls for further research on the Laotian American population to discover ways to increase these numbers. This study examines the mediating effect of campus connectedness on ethnic identity and college persistence attitudes and on other-group orientation and college persistence attitudes. It also examines mean group differences on campus connectedness by cultural orientation, among 82 low-land Laotian American college students. Results reveal that campus connectedness does not mediate the relationship between ethnic identity and college persistence attitudes. A mediation effect exists for campus connectedness on: 1) ethnic identity cognitive clarity (EI-clarity) and persistence and 2) other-group orientation and persistence. Mean group differences on campus connectedness by cultural orientation appear in the results.

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