This research focuses on the construct of honor and its consequences in two countries: Turkey and the United States. Honor is defined as positive moral standing and pride that is related to one's own perception of worth and to other people's respect. Research in the U.S. has linked culture-of-honor norms with aggression and violence. However, very little is known about how honor influences behavior in non-Western, traditional honor-based societies and whether it can be associated with positive outcomes. There are 6 studies proposed in this research which when taken together will advance current knowledge about honor and its consequences in the U.S. as well as the Islamic country of Turkey. The research begins with the identification of Turkish and American definitions of honor and the situations that enhance or threaten one's honor. The researchers hypothesize cross-cultural variation in responses that are associated with individualism and collectivism. This research will build on and contribute to the existing literature on culture and the self by investigating the association between culturally specific views of the self (as an individual, as a part of relationships, or as a member of groups) and cultural forms of honor. Most importantly, this set of studies permits examination of the self-related processes by which culture shapes honor-related responses. In addition this research, examines cultural variation in responses to threats to individual, relationship-specific, and group-oriented forms of honor. Understanding how honor is rooted in close relationships and memberships in larger groups will shed light on: existing stereotypes of Muslims in the West, cross-cultural adjustment of these groups, reasons for honor-related violence in the Middle-East, and some of the elements of culture clash between the West and the East. By addressing these aims, this research will expand the field of cultural psychology beyond its primary focus on East Asia, it will broaden the existing literature on the role of honor in social behavior, and it will contribute to the literature on the culturally constructed self.
