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Encyclopedia of Adolescence pp 1–12Cite as

Self-Construal in a Cultural Context

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Synonyms

Self-definition; View of self

Overview

Self-construal refers to the way in which we conceptualize and experience ourselves. Markus and Kitayama (1991) distinguished between an independent self-construal that prioritizes an individual’s personal needs and goals and is most prominent in North American and Western European cultures and an interdependent self-construal that prioritizes one’s social relationships and is most salient in Asian, Latin-American, and African cultures. Contemporary research emphasizes a nuanced understanding of these contrasting construals, with recognition that individuals may hold both independent and interdependent views of the self, with the salience of each varying based on contextual factors. Research on the implications of self-construal on behaviors, cognitions, and well-being has largely focused on college student samples, though growing literature in this field has implications for child and adolescent development. This entry begins with an...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N Patterson Ave, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA

    Stacey P. Raj & Vaishali V. Raval

  2. Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 10006, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA

    Stephen P. Becker

Authors
  1. Stacey P. Raj
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  2. Stephen P. Becker
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  3. Vaishali V. Raval
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Stephen P. Becker or Vaishali V. Raval .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA

    Roger J.R. Levesque

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Raj, S.P., Becker, S.P., Raval, V.V. (2016). Self-Construal in a Cultural Context. In: Levesque, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_375-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_375-2

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