Unpackaging culture's influence on self-esteem and embarrassability - The role of self-construals

A growing body of research supports the notion that individuals simultaneou sly hold two views of self. Members of collective cultures have stronger in terdependent images of self, but less strong independent images, than do in dividualist groups. University students in Hong Kong (n = 271), Hawaii (n = 146), and mainland United States (n = 232) completed the Self-Construal Sc ale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Modigliani Embarrassability S cale. As expected, levels of independence and interdependence were related to ethnocultural group (Euro-American, Asian American, and Hong Kong Chines e). Independence and interdependence accounted for most of the variance in embarrassability attributable to ethnocultural group. Contrary to predictio ns based on terror management theory, there was no difference in the relati on between self-construal and self-esteem across the three ethnocultural gr oups. Across all groups, a more independent and less interdependent self-co nstrual predicted higher levels of self-esteem. It is concluded that simila r psychological processes contribute to self-esteem and embarrassability ac ross the ethnocultural groups in the study.