Self-construal priming modulates the scope of visual attention

Although it is well documented that cultures influence basic cognitive processes such as attention, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that self-concepts that characterize people from different cultures mediate the variation of visual attention. After being primed with self-construals that emphasize the Eastern interdependent self or the Western independent self, Chinese participants were asked to discriminate a central target letter flanked by compatible or incompatible stimuli (Experiment 1) or global/local letters in a compound stimulus (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 showed that, while responses were slower to the incompatible than to the compatible stimuli, this flanker compatibility effect was increased by the interdependent relative to the independent self-construal priming. Experiment 2 showed that the interdependent-self priming resulted in faster responses to the global than to the local targets in compound letters whereas a reverse pattern was observed in the independent-self priming condition. The results provide evidence for dynamics of the scope of visual attention as a function of self-construal priming that switches self-concept toward the interdependent or independent styles in Chinese.

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Interdependent self-construal moderates the age-related negativity reduction effect in memory and visual attention.

Psychology and Aging ◽

10.1037/a0019079 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 321-329 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Helene H. Fung ◽

Derek M. Isaacowitz ◽

Alice Y. Lu ◽

Tianyuan Li

Keyword(s):

Visual Attention ◽

Age Related ◽

Self Construal ◽

Interdependent Self ◽

Reduction Effect

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Primed Self-Construal, Culture, and Stages of Impression Formation

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335/a000120 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

pp. 196-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

S. Adil Saribay ◽

SoYon Rim ◽

James S. Uleman

Keyword(s):

Lexical Decision ◽

Impression Formation ◽

False Recognition ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Priming Effects ◽

Self Construal ◽

Interdependent Self ◽

Spontaneous Trait Inferences ◽

Trait Inferences ◽

Construal Priming

The effects of culture on impression formation are widely documented but poorly understood. Priming independent and interdependent self-construals, and focusing on particular stages of impression formation, could help remedy this because such self-construals differ across cultures. In three experiments, participants’ were primed with independent or interdependent self-construals before they formed spontaneous or intentional impressions of others. In Experiment 1, lexical decision reaction times showed that both traits and situational properties were activated spontaneously, but were unaffected by self-construal priming. In Experiment 2, a false-recognition paradigm showed that spontaneous trait inferences were bound to relevant actors’ faces, again regardless of self-construal priming. In Experiment 3, explicit ratings did show priming effects. Those primed with independent (but not interdependent) self-construal inferred traits more strongly than situational properties. Primed self-construals appear to affect intentional but not spontaneous stages of impression formation. The differences between effects of primed and chronic self-construals are discussed.

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Self-construal priming selectively modulates the scope of visual attention

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01508 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Zhuozhuo Liu ◽

Menxue Cheng ◽

Kaiping Peng ◽

Dan Zhang

Keyword(s):

Visual Attention ◽

Self Construal ◽

Construal Priming

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Persuasiveness of anti-smoking messages: self-construal and message focus

Health Education ◽

10.1108/he-12-2016-0064 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 117 (4) ◽

pp. 398-413 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bo Yang ◽

Xiaoli Nan ◽

Xinyan Zhao

Keyword(s):

Experimental Studies ◽

Smoking Prevention ◽

General Belief ◽

Content Type ◽

Self Perceptions ◽

Prevention Messages ◽

Self Construal ◽

Interdependent Self ◽

Personal Consequences ◽

Construal Priming

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of independent vs interdependent self-construal in non-smokers’ responses to an anti-smoking message that focuses on either personal or relational consequences of smoking. Design/methodology/approach Two web-based experimental studies were conducted among US college non-smokers. In the first study, participants’ self-construal was measured. Then participants were randomly assigned to view an anti-smoking message emphasizing either relational or personal consequences of smoking. Message evaluation, smoking attitudes, and behavioral intentions were assessed after message exposure. The second study followed the same procedure except that participants’ self-construal was manipulated by randomly assigning participants to an independent or interdependent self-construal priming task prior to message exposure. Findings Both studies showed a noticeable pattern of interaction between message focus and self-construal: non-smokers with a salient interdependent self-construal responded more favorably to an anti-smoking message emphasizing personal (vs relational) consequences of smoking whereas non-smokers with a salient independent self-construal responded more favorably to an anti-smoking message emphasizing relational (vs personal) consequences of smoking. However, the interaction effect was small in the first study. Originality/value Findings from this study are original in that they run counter to the general belief that messages matching people’s self-perceptions will be more persuasive. On the other hand, matching health risk messages with people’s dominant self-construal may reduce the messages effectiveness due to defensive processing. As a result, communication practitioners should take a great caution of tailoring threatening smoking prevention messages to target audiences’ self-perceptions.

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Self-construal priming reconsidered: Comparing effects of two commonly used primes in the UK and China

Open Science Journal ◽

10.23954/osj.v5i3.2418 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Shengyu Yang ◽

Vivian L Vignoles

Keyword(s):

Cultural Differences ◽

Similar Pattern ◽

Culturally Relevant ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Cross Cultural Differences ◽

Self Construal ◽

Interdependent Self ◽

Construal Priming ◽

The Uk

Self-construal priming was devised to mimic the effects of chronic cross-cultural differences. Primes designed to activate independent/interdependent self-construals have been found to affect numerous culturally relevant outcomes. However, researchers have rarely checked precisely what these primes activated, nor tested their cross-cultural equivalence. We compared two common priming tasks, Similarities vs. Differences with Family and Friends (SDFF) and Sumerian Warrior Story (SWS), across seven dimensions of independence/interdependence among 118 British and 178 Chinese participants. The two tasks activated different combinations of self-construal dimensions. SWS showed a similar pattern of effects across cultures, whereas SDFF more strongly affected Chinese participants. Neither manipulation closely mimicked the pattern of pre-existing cross-cultural differences between samples. We propose researchers should develop more precisely targeted self-construal primes.

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Interdependent Self-Construal Predicts Reduced Sensitivity to Norms Under Pathogen Threat: An Electrocortical Investigation

10.31234/osf.io/t5pg6 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Cristina Salvador ◽

Brian Kraus ◽

Joshua Ackerman ◽

Michele Gelfand ◽

Shinobu Kitayama

Keyword(s):

Norm Violations ◽

Priming Condition ◽

Sense Of Security ◽

Self Construal ◽

Interdependent Self ◽

External Threat

Prior evidence suggests that external threat motivates people to monitor norm violations.However, the effect of threat may be attenuated for those high in interdependent self-construal(SC) since this SC affords a sense of protection against the threat. Here, we tested thispossibility by priming or not priming young American adults with a pathogen threat. We then hadparticipants read norm-violating or normal behaviors while assessing two electrocorticalmarkers: N400 (indexing the detection of norm violations) and suppression of upper α-bandpower (indexing vigilance to the violations). In the threat priming condition, interdependent SCpredicted decreased responsiveness to norm violations. In the control priming condition,however, interdependent SC predicted increased responsiveness. Our work suggests thatinterdependent SC may provide a sense of security under threat.

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