Cultural Differences in Values as Self-Guides

Abstract

Three studies tested whether individualism–collectivism moderates the extent to which values are endorsed as ideal self-guides and ought self-guides, and the consequences for regulatory focus and emotion. Across Studies 1 and 2, individualists endorsed values that are relatively central to the self as stronger ideals than oughts, whereas collectivists endorsed them as ideals and oughts to a similar degree. Study 2 found that individualists justified central values using reasons that were more promotion focused than prevention focused, whereas collectivists used similar amount of prevention-focused and promotion-focused reasons. In Study 3, individualists felt more dejected after violating a central (vs. peripheral) value and more agitated after violating a peripheral (vs. central) value. Collectivists felt a similar amount of dejection regardless of values centrality and more agitation after violating central (vs. peripheral) values. Overall, culture has important implications for how we regulate values that are central or peripheral to our self-concept.

Contents of Hopes and Duties: A Linguistic Analysis

“…Another potential limitation to generalizability is that participants resided in the U.S. and Canada. Cultures can differ in assumptions about the personal value of duties and obligations, with people drawing less of a distinction between hopes and duties in collectivist cultures than in individualist cultures (Miller et al, 2011 ; Cheung et al, 2016 ). In collectivist cultures, descriptions of duties could be relatively positive and more similar to descriptions of hopes, whereas descriptions of hopes could be more similar to descriptions of duties and focus more on social relationships.…”

A Novel Measure of Moral Boundaries: Testing Perceived In-group/Out-group Value Differences in a Midwestern Sample

“…Our measure is currently being replicated with broader, cross-national data for additional validation. Different cultural forms may shape the regulation of values and their place in drawing these moral boundaries (Cheung et al 2016). Cultural differences exist in the levels of tolerance or social trust toward out-groups (e.g., Hooghe et al 2009; Inglehart and Norris 2003), and these differences have not been linked to the ways people understand third-order moral obligations toward in-groups and out-groups.…”

Role-Based Identity Development in Latinx Adolescents from Immigrant Families: The Development of Language Broker Role Identity

“…Furthermore, we argue that it is important to consider how language broker role identities may vary across cultures as a function of the priorities and the degree of endorsement different cultures place on their cultural values (Cheung et al, 2016). Investigating communities with seemingly similar values, for example, Latinx culture and their value of respeto and Chinese culture and their value of xiao (filial piety), can reveal diverging motivations and meanings associated with language brokering.…”