Positive Psychology: Culture & well being L7

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes regarding cultural differences in valuing happiness, self-construal, emotion, and sources of self-esteem and life satisfaction.

Independent View of the Self

A psychological perspective where the self is viewed as fundamentally separate and distinct from others, with an emphasis on discovering and expressing uniqueness and an internal origin of the self.

Interdependent View of the Self

A psychological perspective where the self is viewed as fundamentally connected and intertwined with others, with an emphasis on attending to others, fitting in, and harmonious social relations.

Culture (Durkheim's view)

Described as being like 'air,' meaning it permeates our minds and profoundly influences beliefs, feelings, values, and concerns, often without conscious awareness.

Culture and the Self (Markus & Kitayama)

A theory proposing that different cultures have strikingly different construals of the self (independent vs. interdependent), which significantly influence cognition, emotion, and motivation.

Independent Self (Definition & Structure)

Defined as separate from the social context, with a bounded, unitary, and stable structure, emphasizing internal, private attributes like abilities, thoughts, and feelings.

Independent Self (Tasks)

Tasks include being unique, expressing oneself, realizing internal attributes, promoting one's own goals, and being direct ('say what's on your mind').

Independent Self (Role of Others)

Others are important for self-evaluation, social comparison, and reflected appraisal.

Independent Self (Basis of Self-Esteem)

Based on the ability to express oneself and validate internal attributes.

Interdependent Self (Definition & Structure)

Defined as connected with the social context, with a flexible, variable structure, emphasizing external, public attributes like statuses, roles, and relationships.

Interdependent Self (Tasks)

Tasks include belonging, fitting in, occupying one's proper place, engaging in appropriate action, promoting others' goals, and being indirect ('read other's mind').

Interdependent Self (Role of Others)

Others are crucial for self-definition; relationships with others in specific contexts define the self.

Interdependent Self (Basis of Self-Esteem)

Based on the ability to adjust, restrain oneself, and maintain harmony with the social context; often suggested to be replaced by concepts like self-satisfaction in some cultures.

Emotion Dimensions (Western Psychology)

Primarily distinguishes emotions by their valence (pleasant/unpleasant) and physiological arousal level (high/low).

Emotion Dimensions (Japanese Language Research)

Discovered a third dimension beyond valence and arousal: engagement (other-focused) vs. disengagement (ego-focused) in interpersonal relationships.

Amae

A Japanese emotion referring to 'the freedom to do whatever he or she wills' while being accepted and cared for by others with few strings attached, often linked to the ideal mother-infant bond and interdependent relationships.

Self-esteem's role in Life Satisfaction (Cultures)

Matters more for life satisfaction in North American samples (predominantly Caucasian), where it's predicted by an independent view of self.

Relationship Harmony's role in Life Satisfaction (Cultures)

Matters more for life satisfaction in Hong Kong samples, where it's predicted by an interdependent view of self.

Self-esteem (Western European/North American)

Experiences of success are more relevant to self-esteem than failure; success raises self-esteem more than failure lowers it; the best day predicts the recall of the past week.

Self-esteem (Japanese)

Experiences of failure are more relevant to self-esteem than success; failure lowers self-esteem more than success raises it; the worst day predicts the recall of the past week.

Happiness Levels (East Asians/Asian Americans vs. North Americans)

East Asians/Asian Americans generally report lower levels of happiness than North Americans of Western European descent, despite similar moment-to-moment positive and negative experiences, with differences often appearing in recalled affect.

Task Persistence (Canadian vs. Japanese)

Canadians persist longer on subsequent easy tasks after performing well, while Japanese persist longer on subsequent difficult tasks after performing poorly, suggesting cultural differences in motivation related to self-enhancement versus self-improvement.

Friendship Satisfaction (European Americans)

Based primarily on the presence of positive feelings; negative feelings in an otherwise good experience are not seen as relevant to satisfaction.

Friendship Satisfaction (Asian Americans)

Based on both the presence of positive feelings and the absence of negative feelings; negative feelings in an otherwise good experience can lower overall satisfaction.

Desired End-States (Cultures)

Cultures may vary in the degree to which pursuing positive feelings is desirable or appropriate, sometimes prioritizing other states like interpersonal harmony over hedonic subjective well-being (happiness).