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First published online December 14, 2012

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Cultural Differences in Attitudes Toward Action and Inaction: The Role of Dialecticism

Volume 4, Issue 5

https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550612468774

Abstract
References
Biographies

Abstract

The current research examined whether nations differ in their attitudes toward action and inaction. It was anticipated that members of dialectical East Asian societies would show a positive association in their attitudes toward action/inaction. However, members of non-dialectical European-American societies were expected to show a negative association in their attitudes toward action/inaction. Young adults in 19 nations completed measures of dialectical thinking and attitudes toward action/inaction. Results from multi-level modeling showed, as predicted, that people from high dialecticism nations reported a more positive association in their attitudes toward action and inaction than people from low dialecticism nations. Furthermore, these findings remained after controlling for cultural differences in individualism-collectivism, neuroticism, gross-domestic product, and response style. Discussion highlights the implications of these findings for action/inaction goals, dialecticism, and culture.

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Biographies

Ethan Zell is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His research focuses on the self, social cognition, and motivation.

Rong Su is a postdoctoral research associate in psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Her research focuses on interests and motivation, gender, and diversity in organizations, and well-being.

Dolores Albarracín is the Martin Fishbein professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on social cognition, attitudes, and goals.

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