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Interdependent and Independent Self-Construal

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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences

Synonyms

Collectivism; Individualism

Definition

Interdependent and independent self-construals refer to different cognitive representations of the self that people may hold. Those with an independent self-construal view internal attributes, such as traits, abilities, values, and attitudes as central to their sense of self. Those with an interdependent self-construal, in contrast, view their close relationships, social roles, and group memberships as central to their sense of self.

Introduction

Self-construal refers to how individuals view themselves at a fundamental level; whether they view themselves as primarily separate from or integrally connected to others (Markus and Kitayama 1991). Although multiple different self-construals are possible, Markus and Kitayama (1991) identified two primary types: interdependent and independent self-construal. These self-construals differ in the extent to which they represent the self as connected to (i.e., interdependent), or distinct from (i.e.,...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Miranda Giacomin

  2. Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Christian Jordan

Authors
  1. Miranda Giacomin
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  2. Christian Jordan
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Correspondence to Miranda Giacomin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Virgil Zeigler-Hill

  2. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

    Christian Jordan

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Giacomin, M., Jordan, C. (2017). Interdependent and Independent Self-Construal. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1136-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1136-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

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