Based on a deductive, culturally decentered approach, new items were generated to improve the reliability of the original Social Axioms Survey, which measures individuals’ general beliefs about the world. In Study 1, results from 11 countries support the original five-factor structure and achieve higher reliability for the axiom dimensions as measured by the new scale. Moreover, moderate but meaningful associations between axiom and Big-Five personality dimensions were found. Temporal change of social axioms at the culture level was examined and found to be moderate. In Study 2, additional new items were generated for social complexity and fate control, then assessed in Hong Kong and the United States. Reliability was further improved for both dimensions. Additionally, two subfactors of fate control were identified: fate determinism and fate alterability. Fate determinism, but not fate alterability, related positively to neuroticism. Other relationships between axiom and personality dimensions were similar to those reported in Study 1. The short forms of the axiom dimensions were generally reliable and correlated highly with the long forms. This research thus provides a stronger foundation for applying the construct of social axioms around the world.

So far, cross-cultural research on generativity has been lacking. The present study tests the cross-cultural applicability of an integrative model of generativity proposed by McAdams and de St. Aubin. Measures of implicit pro-social power motivation, a general disposition for generativity, generative goals, and life satisfaction were administered to adults in Cameroon, Costa Rica, and Germany. These measures cover the intrapersonal part of the generativity model. After examining the comparability of the measures across the three cultures, cultural differences in the level of each variable were inspected. Finally, the hypothesized model was tested via structural equation modeling. Results show that the model can be successfully applied in all three cultural samples. This finding has interesting implications for the further investigation of generativity, particularly its social antecedents and behavioral consequences.

This study examines the relationship between implicit motives for intimacy‐affiliation and power, explicit value orientations, and life satisfaction. The Satisfaction With Life Scale, the Schwartz Value Survey, and a bias‐free TAT‐type picture‐story‐test were administered to 319 adult participants in Cameroon, Costa Rica, and Germany. The stories were coded for motive imagery reflecting needs for intimacy‐affiliation and power. Based on motives associated with the domain intimacy‐affiliation, the results revealed that an alignment of implicit motives and self‐attributed values is associated with an enhanced life satisfaction across cultures. In contrast, no such relationship could be found for motives and values associated with the domain of power. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This study investigates the relationship of theory of mind and inhibitory control in three samples from Europe, Africa and Latin America differing in relevant socioeconomic and psychological background. The relationship between false belief understanding and inhibitory control was tested using samples of 3 to 5 year-old preschoolers from Germany ( N = 116), Costa Rica ( N = 82) and Cameroon ( N = 116). Inhibitory control and theory of mind were examined using test batteries. Age, gender, siblings, language understanding and mother's education were controlled. Results of regression analyses controlling for moderating effects of culture show a culture-independent relation between conflict inhibition and false belief understanding while delay inhibition is not a significant predictor for false belief understanding across cultures. Conflict inhibition is discussed as a universal developmental prerequisite for the development of theory of mind in the preschool years.

The relationship between self-regulatory capacities and self-esteem as well as well-being is examined by a mediation model that views self-regulation as promoting the development of identity achievement which, in turn, is expected to be associated with well-being. Among secondary school students (Study 1) identity achievement mediated the association between the self-regulatory capacity of attention control and self-esteem. In Study 2 (university students), the mediational effect of identity achievement was found for the relationship between the self-regulatory capacity of action control and well-being. Explicit motives moderated this association. In sum, a firm identity enhances well-being by lending a sense of continuity to one's life. However, explicit motives have a substitution effect by giving direction to life when lacking firm identity commitments.