__smbhome.uscs.susx.ac.uk_ellenaj_Desktop_SRO_Being Oneself through Time SAI accepted.pdf (577.88 kB)
Being oneself through time: bases of self-continuity across 55 cultures
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 06:16 authored by Maja Becker, Vivian VignolesVivian Vignoles, Ellinor Owe, Matthew EasterbrookMatthew Easterbrook, Rupert Brown, Peter B Smith, Sami Abuhamdeh, Boris Cendales Ayala, Ragna B Garðarsdóttir, Ana Torres, Leoncio Camino, Michael Harris Bond, George Nizharadze, Benjamin Amponsah, Inge Schweiger Gallo, othersSelf-continuity – the sense that one’s past, present, and future are meaningfully connected – is considered a defining feature of personal identity. However, bases of self-continuity may depend on cultural beliefs about personhood. In multilevel analyses of data from 7287 adults from 55 cultural groups in 33 nations, we tested a new tripartite theoretical model of bases of self-continuity. As expected, perceptions of stability, sense of narrative, and associative links to one’s past each contributed to predicting the extent to which people derived a sense of self-continuity from different aspects of their identities. Ways of constructing self-continuity were moderated by cultural and individual differences in mutable (vs. immutable) personhood beliefs – the belief that human attributes are malleable. Individuals with lower mutability beliefs based self-continuity more on stability; members of cultures where mutability beliefs were higher based self-continuity more on narrative. Bases of self-continuity were also moderated by cultural variation in contextualized (vs. decontextualized) personhood beliefs, indicating a link to cultural individualism-collectivism. Our results illustrate the cultural flexibility of the motive for self-continuity.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Self and IdentityISSN
1529-8868Publisher
Taylor & FrancisExternal DOI
Issue
3Volume
17Page range
276-293Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2017-05-12First Open Access (FOA) Date
2018-06-01First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2017-05-12Usage metrics
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