Korean Journal of Social and Personality Psychology
- P-ISSN1229-0653
- KCI
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Vol.39 No.4
Abstract
This study examined the influence of independent and interdependent self-construals on social anxiety across different cultural groups, focusing on Koreans, Asian Americans, and European Americans. It also aimed to explore the mediating role of modesty in the relationship between self-construals and social anxiety. Surveys were conducted with adults holding Korean or American citizenship, resulting in data from 402 Koreans, 163 Asian Americans, and 193 European Americans. The findings are as follows: First, Koreans showed significantly lower interdependent self-construal than Americans, while their independent self-construal was the highest. Second, there were no significant differences in self-construal levels between Asian Americans and European Americans. Third, no significant differences were found in social anxiety levels across cultures. Fourth, for Asian Americans and European Americans, both self-construals had direct effects on social anxiety, but no mediating effect of modesty was observed. However, for Koreans, modesty fully mediated the relationship between interdependent self-construal and social anxiety and partially mediated the link between independent self-construal and social anxiety. These findings suggest that the pathways from self-construal to social anxiety may differ depending on cultural context. In particular, modesty, a distinctive feature of East Asian culture, mediates the relationship between self-construal and social anxiety for Koreans, functioning as either a protective or risk factor depending on the self-construal type. This highlights the need for culturally tailored approaches to understanding, preventing, and intervening in social anxiety.
Abstract
Sexual minorities (lesbian, gay, and bisexual; LGB) face decisions about when and to whom they disclose their sexual orientation. Coming out has been identified as a minority stressor, and several previous studies have developed scales to measure the extent of disclosure among sexual minorities. However, in South Korea, disclosure scales have only been directly translated from overseas studies without validation. This study aimed to adapt and validate a Korean version of the Nebraska Outness Scale (NOS), which assesses sexual minority disclosure through two subfactors: openness and concealment. In Study 1, a content analysis was conducted to examine the groups to whom Korean sexual minorities disclose their sexual orientation. The results revealed differences in disclosure targets compared with overseas sexual minorities, leading to modifications in the original scale’s group classification. In Study 2, the appropriateness of these modified classifications was evaluated by categorizing social affiliates into general social affiliates, sexual minority social affiliates, and non-sexual minority social affiliates. To examine whether outness levels significantly differed between sexual minority and non-sexual minority social affiliates, a paired-samples t-test was conducted. In Study 3, the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity of the Korean version of the NOS (K-NOS) were examined. The results indicated that both the overall K-NOS and its subfactors-openness and concealment-demonstrated acceptable levels of reliability and validity. Additionally, the study explored the utility of the subfactors and scales, and conducted a regression analysis between the openness and concealment subfactors to better understand the underlying mechanisms of outness. Through these analyses, the study aimed to deepen the understanding of key mechanisms underlying outness and provide insights for future research and practical interventions. This study holds significance in that it translated and validated the NOS for use in South Korea, establishing a culturally appropriate scale for measuring sexual minority outness and laying a foundation for future research. However, given the limitations in the internal consistency and generalizability of the K-NOS due to sample characteristics, follow-up studies are recommended to further refine the scale.
Abstract
According to prior research conducted in the United States, a culture characterized by individualism, intentionally hiding one’s success in interpersonal contexts tends to be perceived as stemming from paternalism and consequently has detrimental effects on interpersonal relationships (Roberts et al., 2021). The present study aimed to examine whether this negative impact of hiding success also occurs in Korea, a relationship-oriented society, and to extend previous findings by incorporating the cultural specificity of Korea. In Study 1 (N = 131), involving Korean university students, hiding success negatively affected interpersonal outcomes through perceived paternalism, and this negative effect of hiding success was stronger in close relationships than in distant ones. In Study 2 (N = 204), which also involved Korean university students, the model was expanded by including perceived violation of relational schema as an additional mediator, along with perceived paternalistic motives. Results indicated that when both mediators were included in the model, the mediating effect of perceived paternalism was no longer significant, whereas perceived violation of relational schema had a significant mediation effect. These findings suggest that, in the Korean interpersonal context, perceived violation of relational schema plays a central role. The significance of relational closeness and relational schema in Korean interpersonal dynamics and directions for future research are suggested.
Abstract
The negative relationship between consolidated identity and depressive symptoms has been repeatedly observed in previous studies. This study aimed to examine the factors that may explain this link by focusing on how individuals engage with their future. Specifically, it was hypothesized that higher levels of consolidated identity would be associated with greater agency reflected in future thinking, which would, in turn, predict lower hopelessness and subsequently lower levels of depressive symptoms. Given that career preparation and hopelessness are known to be key predictors of depressive symptoms among college students, who are regarded as representative of emerging adulthood, this study focused on a college student sample. A total of 141 students enrolled in a four-year university in South Korea participated in an online survey. Participants completed measures of consolidated identity, hopelessness, and depressive symptoms, and wrote a narrative describing their envisioned future and the steps they were currently taking to prepare for it. The narratives were later rated by independent coders based on the degree of agency reflected in the future thinking. The results supported the hypothesis, revealing a significant serial mediation effect of greater future-thinking agency and lower hopelessness in the negative association between consolidated identity and depressive symptoms. These findings are consistent with previous research and suggest that consolidated identity may not only facilitate the resolution of key developmental tasks among college students (i.e., career preparation) but also serve as a protective factor for their mental health.