The current proposal focuses upon the influence of holding a relatively independent vs. interdependent selfconstrual on self- evaluation processes and social behavior. Independent self- construals are defined as those that focus upon individual attributes and emphasize autonomy. Interdependent self-construals are those that focus upon roles in close relationships or group memberships and emphasize connection with others (see Markus and Kitayama, 1991). Although past research concerning self-construal has focused primarily upon cultural differences, relatively independent vs. interdependent self-construals may also be situationally activated through priming (e.g., Brewer and Gardner, 1996), and thus the ability of self construal to act as an interpretive framework for the understanding of self, others, and social behavior may be examined apart from cultural comparisons. Five studies are proposed to examine both the basic processes thought to be influenced by the relative accessibility of an independent vs. interdependent self-construal, and to investigate the implications of these processes for group behavior. It is hypothesized that shifting from an independent to interdependent self-construal will: (1) shift self-evaluation from emphasizing social comparison processes through which the success of close others threatens esteem, to instead social reflection processes, through which the success of close others bolsters esteem (e.g., Tesser, 1988); (2) shift self-regulation from emphasizing one's own self-guides and standards to emphasizing the guides and standards of others (e.g., Higgins, 1987); and (3) shift the control strategies used from an emphasizing active control, through which the social environment is changed to suit the needs of the self, to emphasizing reactive control through which the self is changed to suit the social environment (e.g., Rothbaum et al., 1982). The implications of accessible independent vs. interdependent self-construals will then be examined in terms of group behavior; shifting from an independent to interdependent self-construal should (4) encourage the pursuit of collective over personal interests in a """"""""commons dilemma"""""""" and should (5) discourage """"""""social loafing"""""""" during a collective effort.
| Gardner, Wendi L; Gabriel, Shira; Hochschild, Laura (2002) When you and I are ""we,"" you are not threatening: the role of self-expansion in social comparison. J Pers Soc Psychol 82:239-51 |
| Lee, A Y; Aaker, J L; Gardner, W L (2000) The pleasures and pains of distinct self-construals: the role of interdependence in regulatory focus. J Pers Soc Psychol 78:1122-34 |
