The present study examined the mediating role of subjective norm about social distancing in the relationship between individuals’ cultural orientation and their social distancing behavior during the early COVID-19 crisis in Korea. A total of 445 Korean adults participated in a survey during which level 2 to 2.5 prevention policies were being enforced. Results indicated, as expected, that collectivism positively predicted subjective norm that supports social distancing, which in turn predicted positively individuals’ participation in social distancing as prescribed by the central government. This result emerged regardless of individuals’ perception of personal vulnerability to COVID-19. We discuss implications of these findings and directions for future research in terms of the link between individualism-collectivism and behavioral immune system, along with the role of social distancing in curbing the spread of corona virus during the pandemic.
The purpose of this research was to empirically explore the association between exposure to news of the nth Room Case, indirect trauma and world assumptions in adults in their 20s. A total of 228 adults in their 20s participated in an online survey designed to study the association above. Analysis using SPSS 25.0 showed that participants who were exposed to more news regarding the nth Room case immediately after it was revealed experienced a higher level of indirect trauma. Furthermore, indirect trauma fully mediated the relationship between exposure to the news of the nth Room Case and world assumptions. This study empirically demonstrated the impact of news exposure on world assumptions through indirect trauma, suggesting that, like disasters, sex crimes can cause indirect trauma to third-parties through the news. However, this study was limited to adults in their 20s, and most of the participants were women; therefore, future studies are called for with samples representing demographically more diverse groups. Future research could also examine the possibility of emotional contagion mediating or moderating the relationship between news exposure and indirect trauma.
The present study was conducted to develop and validate a psychological scale that measures individuals’ attitude toward unification of Korea (ATU-K). Building on major theoretical perspectives on the structure of attitude and the attitude-behavior link, we specified two sub-components each representing the cognitive and the affective dimension of people’s attitude toward unification. In a survey that involved a stratified sample of Korean adults (N = 1,500), we found strong evidence showing the construct validity of ATU-K. We also found evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the scale. In a second survey involving a stratified sample of 1,500 Korean adults, we found the utility of ATU-K in predicting people’s intention to engage in unification-oriented behavior. We also found that ATU-K fares better in predicting the intention vis-a-vis the other measures of unification-related beliefs reported in previous research. We discuss implications of our findings and directions for future research.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of zero-sum belief scale in a sample of Korean adults 19 years and older. The scale was originally developed by Różycka-Tran, Boski, and Wojciszke (2015) based on the Belief in a Zero-Sum Game (BZSG) model A total of 508 participants (252 college students and 256 non-student adults) completed an online survey comprised of zero-sum belief, social trust, subjective socioeconomic status, individual-collectivism, and comparison orientation scales. The results of an exploratory factor analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis indicated that zero-sum belief scale has one factor. The internal consistency of the zero-sum belief scale was good. Zero-sum belief scale did not have a significant relationship with social trust and socioeconomic status. However, the scale was positively associated with vertical individualism and vertical collectivism, and negatively related to horizontal collectivism. There was no significant relationship between zero-sum belief and horizontal individualism, but there was significant positive relationship between zero-sum belief and comparison orientation. This study could facilitate future research on zero-sum belief in South Korea, and future studies need to explore the predictors and effects of zero-sum belief.
This study examined the effects of self-concealment and satisfying basic psychological needs on the commitment of romantic relationship in early adulthood, and examined the mediating effects of basic psychological needs, autonomy, competence, and relatedness, in the relationship between self-concealment and the commitment of romantic relationship. To this end, a self-report survey was conducted on 197 adults aged 20 to 29 who are currently dating, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS MACRO v3.5. The main results of this study are as follows. First, gender, age, and duration of dating period among the subject’s demosocial variables had a significant impact on the commitment of romantic relationship. Second, satisfying relatedness among basic psychological needs had the greatest influence on the commitment of romantic relationship, and self-concealment had a negative impact on the commitment of the romantic relationship. Third, the relationship between self-concealment and the commitment of romantic relationship, the relatedness had a significant mediating effect. It can be seen that it is important to lower self-concealment and to satisfy the relatedness of basic psychological needs in order to promote the commitment of romantic relationship in early adulthood. This study is meaningful in that it tried to reveal the influence of individual psychological factors on the commitment of the romantic relationship, and it is significant that it proposed a basis for intervention to promote the commitment of romantic relationship in early adulthood.
The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of career related parent-child interaction in the association between parent-child relationship and career identity. In particular, this study raised a question about the dichotomous approaches of the independent self/interdependent self or individualism/collectivism. In other words, from the point of view of the individualism-independent self, affective bonding and filial piety between parents and child in Korea could be regarded as the previous stage of separation/individualization or a lower level of differentiation. Therefore, we investigated the effects of independent parent-child relationship, including the value of independence and autonomy, and interdependent parent-child relationship, including the value of emotional oneness and filial piety, on career identity. We also analyzed the mediation effect of career related parent-child interaction(parent-child career congruence process) on these relationships. Data of 509 college students were analyzed, and parallel multiple mediation analysis was performed. As a result, congruence by complementary process and by attunement process had been confirmed to have significant positive mediation effects between parent-child affective bonding on career identity. Authoritative filial piety had a negative direct effect on career identity, but mediating the congruence by complementary process and by attunement process had a positive effect on these relationships. In the case of independent parent-child relationship, the mediation analysis showed that both the congruence by complementary process and the congruence by attunement process fully mediated the association between autonomy-granting parent-child relationship and career identity. However, family intrusion had only been found a negative direct effect on career identity. On the other hand, the congruence by supplementary process did not have significant mediating effects between all types of parent-child relationship and career identity and it was found to have a negative direct effect on career identity. Based on these results, we discussed about cultural-universal and cultural-specific characteristics as well as limitations and recommendations for future research.