Unpackaging the link between economic inequality and self-construal

Sanchez-Rodriguez, A;Uskul, AK;Rodriguez-Bailon, R;Willis, GB;Vignoles, VL;Krys, K;Adamovic, M;Akotia, CS;Albert, I;Appoh, L;Baltin, A;Barrientos, PE;Bond, MH;Denoux, P;Dominguez-Espinosa, A;Esteves, CS;Fulop, M;Gamsakhurdia, V;Gardarsdottir, R;Gavreliuc, A;Hanke-Boer, D;Haas, BW;Igbokwe, DO;Isik, I;Kascakova, N;Kracmarova, LK;Kocimska-Zych, A;Kosiarczyk, A;Kostoula, O;Kronberger, N;Kwiatkowska, A;Lee, JH;Liu, XH;Luzniak-Piecha, M;Malyonova, A;Maricchiolo, F;Mira, A;Mohoric, T;Mosca, O;Murdock, E;Mustaffa, NF;Lun, VMC;Nader, M;Nadi, A;Okvitawanli, A;van Osch, Y;Park, J;Pavlopoulos, V;Pavlovic, Z;Solcova, IP;Igou, ER;Rizwan, M;Romashov, V;Roysamb, E;Sargautyte, R;Schwarz, B;Selim, HA;Serdarevich, U;Sirlopu, D;Stogianni, M;Stoyanova, S;Sun, CR;Teyssier, J;van Tilburg, WAP;Torres, C;Uchida, Y;Vauclair, CM;Xing, C;Zelenski, JM

2023-01-01

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Abstract

Past research has shown that economic inequality shapes individuals' self-construals. However, it has been unclear which dimensions of self-construal are associated with and affected by economic inequality. A correlational (Study 1: N = 264) and an experimental study (Study 2: N = 532) provided converging evidence linking perceived economic inequality with two forms of independent (vs. interdependent) self-construal: Difference from Others and Self-Reliance. In Study 3 (N = 12,634) societal differences in objective economic inequality across 48 nations predicted feelings of Difference from Others, but not Self-Reliance. Importantly, we found no significant associations of economic inequality with the other six dimensions of self-construal. Our findings help extend previous results linking economic inequality to forms of "social distance."