Since the 1990s, sociocultural psychologists have written much about a variable called “construal of self” (Markus and Kitayama, 2010). Construal of self is a fancy term for how people view themselves and their relationships with other people. The variable is usually conceptualized as a continuum, anchored at one end by a (strongly) independent sense of self and at the other end by a (strongly) interdependent sense of self. These conceptions or understandings of the self are fostered and maintained by parents, teachers, peers, and various cultural practices (Kitayama, 2002).
Independent and Interdependent Construals of Self
Persons with an independent sense of self view themselves as free, self-directed, and separate from others. They’ve probably grown up in an individualist society that emphasizes values such as autonomy, self-sufficiency, individual achievement, uniqueness, and competition.
Persons with an interdependent sense of self view themselves as psychologically connected to other people. They’ve probably grown up in a collectivist society that emphasizes values such as social harmony, sharing resources, selflessness, loyalty to the group, and fulfilling one’s obligations to others.
Most people have a general feeling about where they might fall along this continuum. However, is it possible to measure, with some precision, the degree to which you are independent or interdependent? Yes, it is. I know of at least two ways.
The Twenty Statements Test
This test was originally developed by Manfred Kuhn as a way to determine the extent to which we base our self-concept on:
(1) our relationships with other people
(2) our membership in various groups (Kuhn and McPartland, 1954).
Taking the test is easy. Simply answer the question “Who am I?” 20 times. I am _____. I am _____. Plus 18 more.
If most of your answers refer to personal attributes and characteristics, then you lean toward the independent end of the continuum. I am tall. I am smart. I am a good cook. I am a lesbian. I am Italian.
If most of your answers refer to how you are organically connected or related to other people, then you lean toward the interdependent end of the continuum. I am a mother of two kids. I am a Sunday school teacher at my church. I am the assistant coach of a high school basketball team. I am a grandfather. I am the manager of a coffeehouse.
Persons x Decisions
A more revealing and precise technique to measure independence and interdependence uses the grid pictured below. I call it Persons x Decisions. (This version of the test includes six persons and seven decisions; a fuller version includes 10 persons and 10 decisions.)
Completing this exercise takes a bit of time. First, think back to when you were a young adult. Then list (across the top) the most important people or groups in your life at that time. Parents and teachers, for example. A boyfriend or girlfriend. A close sibling, a grandparent, the members of your church, your teammates, your fraternity or sorority.
Next, list along the side the most important decisions you’ll make in the next 10-20 years. Which career to pursue, who to marry, where to live, whether to accept a job offer, whether to have a child, whether to divorce–things like that. Finally, place a checkmark in each box that strongly links a person (or group) with a decision. Identify the persons who will significantly affect (or be affected by) the decisions you make.
If you mark relatively few boxes, say 5 to 10, you are said to have an independent view of self. You make important decisions mostly by yourself and for yourself.
If you mark many boxes, say 25 to 35, you are said to have an interdependent view of self. You are presumably connected strongly to an extended family and various groups like schoolmates, clubs, and sports teams. Maybe even the company where you work. When you make important decisions, you consider how your decision will impact other people in your life.
As you may have guessed, Westerners typically think of themselves in terms of independence, and East Asians typically think of themselves in terms of interdependence (White, 2021). It’s also the case that women, on average, are more interdependent than men, although the gender difference is not as large as the cultural difference. These construals of self are also associated with different cognitive styles (that is, habitual ways of thinking), but that’s another story for another day.
