Oscillatory Alpha Power at Rest Reveals an Independent Self: A Cross-cultural Investigation

Overview

Journal Biol Psychol

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2021 May 21

PMID 34019966

Citations 4

Authors

Brian Kraus

Cristina E Salvador

Aya Kamikubo

Nai-Ching Hsiao

Jon-Fan Hu

Mayumi Karasawa

Shinobu Kitayama

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In the current cultural psychology literature, it is commonly assumed that the personal self is cognitively more salient for those with an independent (vs. interdependent) self-construal (SC). So far, however, this assumption remains largely untested. Here, we drew on evidence that resting state alpha power (RSAP) reflects mental processes constituting the personal self, and tested whether RSAP is positively correlated with independent (vs. interdependent) SC. Study 1 tested European Americans and Taiwanese, whereas Study 2 tested European Americans and Japanese (total N = 164). A meta-analysis performed on the combined data confirmed a reliable association between independent (vs. interdependent) SC and RSAP. However, this association was only reliable when participants had their eyes closed. Even though European Americans were consistently more independent than East Asians, RSAP was no greater for European Americans than for East Asians. Our data helps explore a missing link in the theorizing of contemporary cultural psychology.

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