The dialectical self-concept: contradiction, change, and holism in East asian cultures.
Naïve dialecticism refers to a set of East Asian lay beliefs characterized by tolerance for contradiction, the expectation of change, and cognitive holism. In five studies, the authors examined the cognitive mechanisms that give rise to global self-concept inconsistency among dialectical cultures. Contradictory self-knowledge was more readily available (Study 1) and simultaneously accessible (Study 2) among East Asians (Japanese and Chinese) than among Euro-Americans. East Asians also exhibited greater change and holism in the spontaneous self-concept (Study 1) and inconsistency in their implicit self-beliefs (Study 3). Cultural differences in self-concept inconsistency were obtained when controlling for alternative explanatory variables, including self-criticism (Study 4) and self-concept certainty (Studies 2 and 3) and were fully mediated by a direct measure of dialecticism (Study 5). Naïve dialecticism provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding these cultural differences and the contradictory, changeable, and holistic nature of the East Asian self-concept.
Spencer-Rodgers
Julie
J
Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. Rodgers@psych.ucsb.edu
Boucher
Helen C
HC
Mori
Sumi C
SC
Lei Wang
Kaiping Peng
D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D001364:Awareness; D002605:Character; D002681:China; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012945:Social Values; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*; D016709:Yin-Yang; D055815:Young Adult