This thesis empirically investigates the impact of an individual’s dominant independent self-construal, interdependent self-construal, cosmopolitan and local orientation on the effect of the four self-congruity types (actual, ideal, social, ideal social) on brand attitude. A widely used practice among marketers focuses on communicating the notion that using their brands will bring consumers closer to how they would like to see themselves, their ideal self-concept (e.g. being a slim person like the models in the ads), instead of how they actually see themselves, their actual self-concept. However, recent research shows that there is no “universality” of a superior self-congruity effect. Specifically, individual-level characteristics (e.g. public self-consciousness) determine whether actual or ideal self-congruity impacts brand perceptions more strongly (Malär et al., 2011). This study extends that research by considering (a) all four self-congruity types and (b) additional individual-level characteristics (independent and interdependent self-construal, cosmopolitan and local orientation), which are valuable for segmenting consumer markets within and across countries. Survey data from a non-student sample were collected in two countries (the US and India). After performing data cleaning procedures, over 800 usable responses in each country were analysed with the use of PLS-SEM. The findings show that, as expected, these individual-level characteristics have an impact in regard to which of the four self-congruity types has the strongest effect on brand attitude. For instance, for individuals with a local orientation or interdependent self-construal, actual self-congruity has the strongest effect on brand attitude. These findings extend self-congruity theory by considering how an individual’s dominant independent and interdependent self-construal, cosmopolitan and local orientation impact the effect of the four self-congruity types on brand attitude. Moreover, the findings offer marketers insights into which self-concept type they should try to match with their brand communications when targeting these specific consumer groups. Details on the contributions as well as managerial implications are presented.

No description available.

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.

The aim of the present study was to explore the associations between different types of orientations toward materialism, and to investigate the relationship between materialistic orientations and different self-construal types as suggested by the Balanced Integration and Differentiation (BID) Model (imamoglu, 1998, 2003). The sample was consisted of 335 Middle East Technical University students (168 females, 167 males) with a mean age of 21.34. The questionnaire consisted of eight scales that were used to measure materialism, self-construals, family environment, attachment, and self and family satisfaction. The scales were Material Values Scale (Richins &amp / Dawson, 1992), Aspiration Index (Kasser &amp / Ryan, 1996), the New Materialism Scale which was developed for the current study, Balanced Integration and Differentiation Scale (BIDS, Imamoglu, 1998), Perceived Family Atmosphere Scale (Imamoglu, 2001), Family Satisfaction Index, and Self Satisfaction Index (Imamoglu, 2001) as well as the Relationship Questionnaire (Bartholomew &amp / Horowitz, 1991). Through the analyses on the data from the New Materialism scale, that had acceptable psychometric qualities, four sub-constructs of materialism were found that are extrinsic orientations, acquisitiveness, attachment to possessions, and sharing. Both MANOVA and regression analyses were performed and it was seen that respondents with related-individuated and separated-patterned self-types, proposed by the BID Model to represent the most balanced and unbalanced self-types, respectively, significantly differed from each other in terms of materialism score ratings measured by Material Values Scale and New Materialism scale. The people with the unbalanced type seemed to be more oriented towards materialism compared to the ones with the balanced type. While lower levels of individuation predicted higher levels of materialism for all materialism measures except attachment to possessions, the lower levels of relatedness predicted higher levels of materialism in terms of happiness, the belief that happiness can be gained through possessions, and sharing, the degree of unwillingness to share one&rsquo / s possessions with other people. Considering gender, women are found to be more acquisitive, giving a central importance to possessions and more interested in image as an aspiration. Through the analysis of the relationship patterns using SEM, a model was proposed for the relationships between different types of materialism, self orientations, and gender. Three different types of materialism, i.e. existential materialism, relational materialism, and indulgent materialism, were generated. Low levels of individuation predicted all three types of materialism. Low levels of relatedness predicted only relational materialism, whereas being woman predicted indulgent materialism. Theoretical implications of these findings are discussed in the framework of the BID Model.

The present study aimed 1) to examine possible influences of demographic variables (i.e., age, gender, marital status, sibling number, mother&rsquo / s education, father&rsquo / s education) on the various measures of the study (i.e., schema domains, self-orientations, and well-being measures i.e. depression, positive affect, negative affect, and reassurance-seeking) / 2) to examine the differences of schema domains on self-orientations of Balanced Integration Differentiation Model and also on well-being, and 3) to analyse the differences of four self-construals of Balanced Integration Differentiation Model on schema domains and well-being measures. In order to fulfill these aims 501 people between the ages 18-50 participated in the study. According to the results, having strong characteristics of schema domains were related to low levels of self-orientation dimensions of interpersonal integration orientation and intrapersonal differentiation orientation. Moreover,there was a positive correlation between having strong characteristics of schema domains and high depression, negative affect, and reassurance-seeking, but low positive affect. On the other hand, low level of related individuation self-construal was related to having high characteristics of schema domains. In addition to this,having high level of separated-patterning was positively correlated with having high characteristics of schema domains. In addition, self-construal of relatedindividuation was found to be related to high positive affect and correlated with low levels of depression, negative affect, and reassurance-seeking. Finally, separated-patterning was found to be related to low level of positive affect, while it was found to be correlated with high level of depression, negative affect, and reassurance-seeking. Findings, future directions, and clinical implications were discussed in the discussion section.

No description available.

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.