Examining Relationships of Ethnicity, Independent-Interdependent Self and Self-Disclosure in Young Adults in the U.S.

Date

2020-12

Authors

Torres, Linda

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Abstract

Previous studies have shown that ‘individualistic’ and ‘collectivistic’ cultures share different amounts of self-disclosure (SD). It has also been shown that ‘individualists’ construe self as independent (IND), while ‘collectivists’ construe self as interdependent (INT). However, research revealed different patterns of multidimensional representation of the IND-INT self across cultures. Our study examined the relationship between multidimensional IND-INT self representation and SD across ethnic groups in the U.S. Overall, we hypothesized that IND-INT would positively correlate with SD but the predictive power of specific dimensions of the cultural-self would vary across ethnic and gender groups. The study used an 8-dimensional, self-construal model of IND-INT to analyze 1) varying degrees of IND-INT in different ethnic groups in the U.S, 2) SD amounts shared among ethnic groups in the U.S, and 3) varying degrees of IND-INT and SD in different relationships (parents, a close friend, and an acquaintance). A sample of n=268 undergraduate students (225 females, 41 males, and 2 non-specified) completed an online survey containing: a) demographic items, b) an IND-INT self-construal scale, and c) an adopted version of Jourard’s 25-item SD questionnaire. Results show significant correlations between specific dimensions of IND-INT and self-disclosure. Moreover, the data revealed significant interactions between gender and ethnicity on selected dimensions of IND-INT, suggesting critical influences of ethnicity and gender on cultural self-representation within the U.S.

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relationships, self-disclosure, individualism-collectivism, independence-interdependence, ethnicity, Honors College

Citation

Torres, L. (2020). Examining relationships of ethnicity, independent-interdependent self and self-disclosure in young adults in the U.S. (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.

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