Influence Of Interdependent Self-Construal On Psychological Wellbeing: Gender And Social Desirability As Moderators

Abstract

A total of 248 (114 male and 134 female) undergraduates of the Olabisi Onabanjo University in Nigeria participated in an ongoing study investigating the influence of interdependent self-construal on Psychological Wellbeing—as moderated by gender and social desirability. Data was obtained via responses given by the participants on the Self-Construal Scale, the Crowne's Social Desirability Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affects Scale (PANAS). Data analysis with three different moderated regressions, each treating Satisfaction with Life, Positive Affect, and Negative Affect as Dependent Variables yielded different results. No main or interaction influences of Interdependent Self-Construal, Social Desirability, and Sex was found on Satisfaction with life, nor did age contribute significantly to Satisfaction with life. Nevertheless, Interdependent self-construal, Social Desirability, and Sex jointly and significantly predicted both positive affect and negative affect, with only sex and interdependent self-construal significantly contributing to the prediction in positive affect; for negative affect, only the unique contribution of social desirability was significant at a stage while only that of interdependent self-construal was negative but significant at a later stage. Findings were discussed in the light of the large body of existing literature which characterize the independent self-construal as typifying the beliefs and behaviours of individual members of collectivist societies of which Nigeria is one.

Gender & Behaviour Vol. 6 (2) 2008: pp. 2045-2057