Abstract

The goal of this study was to explain the phenomenon of making efforts to overcome the need-reality collision as a cultural characteristic of Koreans. Specifically, we examined whether the behavior varies depending on the degree of relational agency in the situation where conflicts between one’s needs and reality have occurred. To this end, a total of 217 participants participated in the online experiment, and the data of 156 participants were finally analyzed. After responding to the relational agency scale, the participants were exposed to a decision-making scenario in which conflicting factors existed. The scenario were about buying a house and making a wedding hall contract, and in each scenario, two important values were set to conflict with each other in the market. Participants read the scenario and entered the level they wanted for each value. After that, they encounter a situation in which he or she has not found the candidate site corresponding to the level he or she wants. Then, the participants responded to their willingness to make additional efforts themselves. As a result of the study, the degree of relational agency of the participants showed a positive relationship with the degree of additional effort. In addition, the degree of the desired level beyond the reality (expectancy discrepancy) showed a nonlinear (reverse U-shape) influence on the additional effort while controlling for individual difference. Furthermore, the interaction effect between relational agency and expectancy discrepancy was significant. Specifically, individuals with low agency did not have a significant relationship between the degree of expectancy discrepancy and the dependent variable, but individuals with high relational agency had a significant non-linear relationship between the degree of expectancy discrepancy and the dependent variable. Based on the results of the study, the role and function of Koreans’ psychological characteristics (relational agency) in the scene of managing needs-reality collision were discussed.