"Express Yourself": Culture and the Effect of Self-Expression on Choice

Whereas self-expression is valued in the United States, it is not privileged with such a cultural emphasis in East Asia. Four studies demonstrate the psychological implications of this cultural difference. Studies 1 and 2 found that European Americans value self-expression more than East Asians/East...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 2007-01, Vol.92 (1), p.1-11
Main Authors: Kim, Heejung S, Sherman, David K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Analysis of Variance
Asian Americans
Asian Americans - psychology
Asian Continental Ancestry Group - psychology
Asians
Attitude - ethnology
Attitudes
Behavior. Attitude
Beliefs
Biological and medical sciences
California - ethnology
Choice Behavior
Communication
Cross Cultural Differences
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Cultural differences
Cultural studies
Cultural tradition
Culture
East Asia
Ego
European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Individuality
Judgment
Korea - ethnology
Male
Preferences
Psychological aspects
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Self
Self expression
Selfexpression
Social psychology
Social Values
Social Values - ethnology
Sociocultural Factors
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Summary:Whereas self-expression is valued in the United States, it is not privileged with such a cultural emphasis in East Asia. Four studies demonstrate the psychological implications of this cultural difference. Studies 1 and 2 found that European Americans value self-expression more than East Asians/East Asian Americans. Studies 3 and 4 examined the roles of expression in preference judgments. In Study 3, the expression of choice led European Americans but not East Asian Americans to be more invested in what they chose. Study 4 examined the connection between the value of expression and the effect of choice expression and showed that European Americans place greater emphasis on self-expression than East Asian Americans, and this difference explained the cultural difference in Study 3. This research highlights the importance of the cultural meanings of self-expression and the moderating role of cultural beliefs on the psychological effect of self-expression.
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.92.1.1