Temporal self-appraisal in a Chinese context: Distancing autobiographical memory following self-uncertainty salience

Qing Yang, Oscar Ybarra, Kees van den Bos, Yufang Zhao, Lili Guan, Xiting Huang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

On the premise that individuals are inclined to self-enhance, in temporal self-appraisal (TSA) theory it is suggested that people can motivationally reconstruct subjective distances from their past self to serve that goal. However, given the mixed evidence found in an East Asian cultural context (i.e., Japan), it is important to test the cultural applicability of TSA in a different East Asian culture. Thus we tested the TSA of a Chinese sample, focusing on past-self distance reconstruction. The results supported the prediction suggested in TSA theory, in that participants tended to feel farther away from negative (vs. positive) past experiences. Further, this effect was greater when people were primed with a self-threat (i.e., self-uncertainty salience). These patterns were found independently of whether the past experience was recent (3 months ago) or in the distant past (3 years ago). Implications for cross-cultural applicability of TSA theory are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere8632
JournalSocial Behavior and Personality
Volume48
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Autobiographical memory
  • Self-threat
  • Self-uncertainty
  • Subjective distance
  • Temporal self
  • Temporal self-appraisal

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology

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