Self-construal and creativity: The moderator effect of self-esteem

Role of hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex in the association of interdependent self-construal with an acute stress response

Empirical evidence indicates that high interdependent self-construal (InterSC) is correlated with exaggerated acute stress responses; however, the underlying neural correlates remain unclear. Considering the regulatory effect of the prefrontal cortex and limbic system on the acute stress response, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and hippocampus (HIP) in the relationship between InterSC and acute stress responses. Forty-eight healthy college students underwent a modified version of the Montreal imaging stress task (MIST), while brain activity was recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants' saliva samples and subjective stress feelings were collected before, during, and after the MIST. Additionally, participants' self-construal was measured using questionnaires. Results revealed that InterSC was positively correlated with the activation of OFC, which, in turn, was associated with higher subjective stress feelings. A higher InterSC was also significantly associated with an enhanced salivary cortisol response in those with lower HIP activity. Furthermore, the HIP moderated the indirect effect of InterSC on subjective stress feelings by moderating the effect of InterSC on neural activity in the OFC. This indicated the mediation of the OFC was stronger in those with higher neural activity in the HIP than in those with lower activity in the HIP. In summary, the current study proposed an important role of the OFC-HIP regions in the relationship between InterSC and acute stress responses, making contribution to broadening the field of personality and stress and deepening our understanding of individual differences in acute stress responses.

Personality Traits as Predictors of Malevolent Creative Ideation in Offenders

Malevolent creativity, which can be defined as creativity that is deliberately planned to damage others, is a concept that explains how the capacity to generate novel and effective outcomes (creativity) may, on occasion, be misapplied. The present study used 130 male inmates of the Oradea Maximum Security Penitentiary in Romania to explore the ability of a set of personality variables (the dark triad, self-efficacy, and self-esteem) to predict malevolent creative ideation. The findings indicate that Machiavellianism and self-efficacy were significant predictors of malevolent creative ideation in the form of lying, while only Machiavellianism was a significant predictor of malevolent creative ideation in the form of hurting people. In addition, the present study found significant differences among subgroups in the sample, with more experienced offenders showing higher levels of malevolent creative ideation.

Trait self-construal, inclusion of others in the self and self-control predict stay-at-home adherence during COVID-19

To combat the global COVID-19 crisis, governments and health organizations rely on collective cooperation among every ordinary individual to adhere to non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), such physical distancing which includes, as examined in our study, staying at home. Thus, we ask the question: do individual differences in how individuals see themselves as connected to or separated from others (i.e., independent vs. interdependent self-construal) predict their stay-at-home adherence? In an online study (N = 358; 47.1% female, M_age = 40.48; 74.02% White), we measured trait self-construal, inclusion of others in the self (IOS), self-control and likelihood to stay-at-home in various scenarios. Results revealed a significant indirect, sequential effect of self-construal on stay-at-home adherence via IOS and self-control. Specifically, participants with a more accessible interdependent (vs. independent) self-construal reported higher stay-at-home adherence intentions as a consequence of greater IOS and self-control. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Self-esteem and cultural worldview buffer mortality salience effects on responses to self-face: Distinct neural mediators

Terror management theory proposes cultural worldview and self-esteem as two buffers against death anxiety. The neural mediators of these buffering effects, however, have not been fully understood. The present work investigated neural mediation mechanisms between self-esteem/cultural trait (self-construal) and mortality salience (MS) effects on self-face processing. We found that MS (vs. NA) priming eliminated self-face advantage in behavioral judgments of face-orientation in low self-esteem individuals and reduced self-face advantage in behavioral judgments of facial-familiarity in individuals with high interdependent self-construals. Our functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) results showed that, following MS priming, insular activities mediated the relationship between self-esteem and self-face advantage in face-orientation judgments, whereas dorsal medial prefrontal activity mediated the relationship between interdependent self-construal and self-face advantage in face-familiarity judgments. Our findings suggest that distinct neural mechanisms are engaged in mediating the relationships between self-esteem/cultural trait and MS effects on the emotional and cognitive processes of self-relevant information.

Self-Expressive Creativity in the Adolescent Digital Domain: Personality, Self-Esteem, and Emotions

Background: Although self-expressive creativity is related to cyberbullying, it can also reinforce strengths that contribute to positive adolescent development. Our study concentrated on the relationships between personality traits and self-expressive creativity in the digital domain in an adolescent population. For this, we analyzed the effect of self-esteem and emotional intelligence as assets for positive development related to personality traits and self-expressive creativity. Methods: The study population included a total of 742 adolescents that were high-school students in the province of Almería, Spain. The following instruments were used: Big Five Inventory (BFI) to evaluate the five broad personality factors, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), Expression, Management, and Emotion Recognition Evaluation Scale (TMMS-24), and the Creative Behavior Questionnaire: Digital (CBQD). Results: The cluster analysis revealed the existence of two profiles of adolescents based on their personality traits. The analysis showed that the group with the highest levels of extraversion and openness to experience and lowest levels of neuroticism were those who showed the highest scores in self-esteem, clarity, and emotional repair, as well as in self-expressive creativity. Higher scores in neuroticism and lower scores in extraversion and openness to experience showed a direct negative effect on self-expressive creativity and indirect effect through self-esteem and emotional attention, which acted as mediators in series. Conclusions: To counteract certain characteristics that increase adolescents’ vulnerability to social network bullying, a plan must be developed for adequate positive use of the Internet from a creative model that enables digital self-expression for acquiring identity and self-efficacy through the positive influence of peers, which promotes feelings of empowerment and self-affirmation through constructive tasks that reinforce self-esteem and emotional intelligence.

PARTICIPATIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING AND INNOVATION CAPABILITY: MODERATING ROLE OF IDEATION STRATEGY

Enriching the limited knowledge and research on linkage between strategic management, human resource and innovation in developing economies, this paper focuses on the role of participative strategic planning (PSP), promotion focus and flexible role orientation (FRO) on innovation capability in Iranian SMEs. Furthermore, the moderating role of ideation strategy will be investigated. A total of 252 samples were collected from Iranian SME managers and employees in the different sectors through a quantitative method. A questionnaire was used for the data collection, and AMOS-SEM was employed for data analysis. The results indicate that PSP has a positive and significant impact on promotion focus, FRO, and innovation capability. In addition, it is shown that ideation strategy moderates the impact of promotion focus and FRO on innovation capabilities. Given the positive impact of PSP on promotion focus, FRO, and innovation capability, it is suggested that SME’s top managers use staff and managers with different levels in strategic planning processes and long-term organisation goals.

Role of Bilingualism and Biculturalism as Assets in Positive Psychology: Conceptual Dynamic GEAR Model

Are bilingualism and/or biculturalism good for a person's positive well being? A growing number of studies have shown different positive outcomes of being exposed to two cultures or speaking two languages respectively, but the benefits of being both bilingual and bicultural have rarely been investigated theoretically or empirically. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the main beneficial outcomes of bilingualism and biculturalism, and to integrate these benefits into a new conceptual framework: Positive Bilingualism and Biculturalism GEAR model. The GEAR model suggests that the beneficial outcomes of bilingualism and biculturalism can be systematically classified into four positive dimensions (psychological Growth; cognitive Exploration; linguistic Awareness; and social Reinforcement), in which there are dynamic interactions among these four dimensions. The hypothetical GEAR model provides an intricate theoretical approach to understand the potential benefits to an individual of experiencing more than one language and one culture in their life. The proposed model in this research offers a systematic framework for conducting future research to examine whether bilingualism and biculturalism accrue benefits to the individual.

Why Do People Experience the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)? Exposing the Link Between the Self and the FoMO Through Self-Construal

With the advent of social media, it is getting easier to be informed about different aspects of individuals’ lives. Therefore, experiencing fear of missing out (FoMO), which is characterized by the desire to stay continually connected with others, is becoming increasingly widespread among people. The concept of FoMO has drawn considerable attention from researchers; however, past research has yet to expose the link between the self-concept and FoMO. Drawing on the self-construal theory, we argue that the construal of the interdependent self underlies FoMO. In other words, the current article proposes that people with interdependent self-construal are more vulnerable to FoMO. In Study 1, we conducted online survey research with 566 MTurk participants, 287 U.S. participants and 279 Indian participants. In Study 2, we conducted an experiment with two conditions with 188 MTurk participants residing in the United States. The findings from the two studies provide consistent and convergent findings that FoMO is positively associated with interdependent self-construal. Implications are discussed and further research suggestions are provided.

Linking Self-Construal to Creativity: The Role of Approach Motivation and Cognitive Flexibility

While some evidence has linked the way individuals define themselves in relation to others (independent versus interdependent self-construal) to creativity, little is known about the underlying mechanism in explaining why and how self-construal influences creativity. Integrating approach-avoidance motivation theory and the dual pathway to creativity model, this research focuses on the motivational and cognitive mechanisms that transfer the effects of self-construal on creativity. Specifically, we expect that independent self-construal is a driver of creativity because it facilitates individuals' approach motivation, which in turn increases flexible information processing. To test the three-stage mediation model, one experiment and one survey study were conducted. In Study 1, in a sample of 231 Dutch students, self-construal was manipulated by a story-writing task; approach-avoidance motivation, cognitive flexibility, and creativity were measured. In Study 2, self-construal, approach (and avoidance) motivation, cognitive flexibility, and creativity were all measured in a second sample of Dutch students (N = 146). The results of two studies supported the three-stage mediation model, showing that approach motivation and cognitive flexibility together mediated the effects of self-construal on creativity. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.