How Self-Construal Shapes Emotion: Cultural Differences in the Feeling of Pride

Previous research has shown that members of collectivist cultures usually experience less pride than do members of individualist cultures. The current study suggests that such differences are due to either interdependent or independent self-construals. We predicted that individuals with a predominantly interdependent self-construal would experience more pride than individuals with a predominantly independent self-construal if others are successful. This thesis was tested in a study that compared Chinese and German students' responses to scenarios in which others were successful. Consistent with our prediction, the findings revealed that Chinese students felt relatively more pride in these situations than German students did. In a second study, German students thought about achievements of others or their own achievements after having been primed with either an interdependent or an independent self-construal. We found that thinking about the achievements of others resulted in more pride after priming of the interdependent rather than the independent self-construal, whereas thinking about own achievements resulted in more pride after priming of the independent rather than the interdependent self-construal. These findings suggest that self-construal exerts an influence on feelings of pride.