Using open-ended questionnaires, two studies were conducted to explore social representations held by Korean undergraduates on children, adults and adolescents. Study 1 compared between children and adults with responses reported by 97 undergraduates(men: 28, women: 69). According to the results, characteristics of children distinctive from adults were basically personality-related and in particular, typical children were marked by high extroversion, low agreeableness, conscientiousness and culture. Further, happiness for both children and adults was determined mainly by interpersonal relationships, physical health and socio-economical status. However, good(or desirable) children characteristic of high agreeableness and conscientiousness were more similar to adults worthy of the name than to children worthy of the name. Using 57 undergraduates(men: 16, women: 41), Study 2 explored social representations of adolescents. The results indicated that overall adolescence were on the bridging state between childhood and adulthood. Happiness for adolescents, like both children and adults, was determined mainly by interpersonal relationships and socio-economical status. Finally, agreeableness, conscientiousness, self-, task- and relationship-related characteristics were involved in judging good(or desirable) adolescents. These findings were discussed in terms of features of Korean culture and human development.
The present study investigated the relationship among the level of family differentiation, quality of family relationship, and intimacy with their partners in 381 adult children. First, this study examined the relationship between the level of family differentiation and quality of family relationship. The result showed that the level of family differentiation was positively and significantly correlated to quality of family relationship. This finding indicated that family differentiation may be used for an objective and useful index to measure the dynamics of emotional system and the level of family-of-origin emotional health. Second, the influence of the family of origin was studied through exploring the relationship between the level of differentiation of family of origin, and adult children's intimacy with their partners. It was found that the family differentiation level was positively and significantly related to adult children's intimacy with their partners at each subsystem, but family differentiation levels of parents more influenced on adult male's intimacy than on adult female's intimacy with their partners.
The goal of this study was to examine the effects of male gender role on the adjustment of Korean men. In study 1 Korean Male gender Role Scale was developed. A 52-item scale was constructed based on the responses of 432 college-aged and middle-aged men to theoretically- derived preliminary items. Five factors were extracted: achievement orientation, the initiative, task orientation, responsibility for family and friendship with male friends. Study 2 examined the relationship between male gender role and several adjustment variables. Correlational analyses indicated that in the college men self-esteem and career identity were positively correlated with the initiative and friendship with male friends was positively correlated with life satisfaction. College men's depression level was negatively correlated with the initiative and task orientation. Among the middle-aged men, self-esteem was also positively correlated with the initiative and task orientation. But responsibility for family was positively correlated with depression and job dissatisfaction in the middle-aged men. In both groups satisfaction with male gender role was positively correlated with self-esteem and life satisfaction but negatively correlated with depression. Finally, limitations of this study and direction of future research were discussed.
The goal of this study was to examine the effects of male gender role on the adjustment of Korean men. In study 1 Korean Male gender Role Scale was developed. A 52-item scale was constructed based on the responses of 432 college-aged and middle-aged men to theoretically-derived preliminary items. Five factors were extracted: achievement orientation, the initiative, task orientation, responsibility for family and friendship with male friends. Study 2 examined the relationship between male gender role and several adjustment variables. Correlational analyses indicated that in the college men self-esteem and career identity were positively correlated with the initiative and friendship with male friends was positively correlated with life satisfaction. College men's depression level was negatively correlated with the initiative and task orientation. Among the middle-aged men, self-esteem was also positively correlated with the initiative and task orientation. But responsibility for family was positively correlated with depression and job dissatisfaction in the middle-aged men. In both groups satisfaction with male gender role was positively correlated with self-esteem and life satisfaction but negatively correlated with depression. Finally, limitations of this study and direction of future research were discussed.
The purpose of this study is to examine the experience of stress, coping and social support among students and their parents after Korea recovered from the recent economic crisis. A total of 634 students(primary school=135, junior high school=118, senior high school=168, and university =213) and 842 parents (fathers=421, mothers= 421), for a total of 1,476 participants, completed an open-ended questionnaire developed by the present researchers. For students, the most painful experience was related to problems in academic life, followed by problems in relationship. For father, the most painful experience was financial problems and for mothers, it was conflicts in the family. In stress situations, self-regulation was the most frequently adopted coping style by both students and adults. The second most frequently reported coping style was avoidance. In terms of social support, students reported receiving most support from friends, and the importance of friends became greater for the older students. Parents reported receiving most social support from their spouse. As for the type of social support, around half of students and parents reported receiving emotional support. Emotional support was viewed as being very important in reducing the stress experience related to academic life, problems in relationships, family conflict, and financial difficulties. The results of the present study will be compared to similar studies conducted before and during the economic crisis and the implications of these studies, as well as the importance of the indigenous Korean psychology, will be discussed.
The present paper reviews the development of democracy in the West and Korea. The first part of the paper provide a cultural framework for understanding the development of democracy in West and Korea. In the second part of the paper, an empirical study conducted in Korea will be presented. A survey questionnaire was developed to assess respondents' conception of political participation, political efficacy, trust, leadership, and social relations and it has been administered to national stratified sample in Korea (n=1,000). The results indicate that Korean respondents support the basic ideas of liberal democracy, such as the right to vote, participate in political organization, freedom of speech, and criticize government. At the same time, Korean respondents supported collective values, such as harmonious family life, harmonious social relations, and governmental welfare programs. Although Koreans trusted close ingroup members, such as family members and friends, they were less likely to trust their colleagues and outgroup members and were not likely to trust political and governmental institutions. Moreover, Korean respondents showed a low degree of political participation and efficacy and a high degree of political alienation. As for leadership, Koreans preferred moral and strong leaders. The overall results indicate that in Korea, although the basic ideals of democracy are valued, the method of implementing these ideals is different from the West. Detailed analysis of the results and implications of the study will be presented.
Counterfactual thinking refers to a mental simulation of "What might have been," a cognitive process of once-possible-but-unrealized alternatives to facts, Counterfactuals have been reported to produce intensive emotional experiences, specifically regret. The present research reviewed and tried to integrate the previous inconsistent findings in the view of functional value of counterfactuals. Social psychologists proposed that counterfactuals could be categorized into upward(thoughts of better alternatives) versus downward(thoughts of worse alternatives) and additive versus subtractive. Counterfactual processes are more likely to occur following negative or unexpected rather than positive expected outcome, consistent with the minimization-mobilization hypothesis. Downward counterfactuals serve affective functions(to make one feel better) through contrast effects. Upward counterfactuals serve preparative functions(to prepare and improve performance in the future similar tasks) through causal inferences. Also, upward counterfactuals have been demonstrated in several studies to be followed by success-related attitudes and intentions and actual performance improvement. Furthermore, in terms of regulatory focus, downward counterfactuals were related with the prevention focus(to maintain the current status and upward counterfactuals were related with the promotion focus(to improve the current status). Those findings from numerous studies support that counterfactuals are functional to serve human ongoing motives. In conclusion, applicability and limitation of functional value of counterfactual thinking were discussed.
This survey research examined the effectiveness, gender identity and the satisfaction of life of female leaders in government, in relation to the organizational culture regarding gender discrimination. The respondents were high -ranking (above 5th grade) male (N=154) and female (N=150) leaders in government and the supervisors (N= 139) of the female leaders. The results demonstrated that the effectiveness of female leaders was rated lower as she helped her junior females at work more as a mentor, while she was rated as being more effective as her leadership style became more relationship-oriented. The satisfaction of life of female leaders was higher as she engaged more in mentoring to the junior females and as she had more positive gender identity. However, life satisfaction became lower as the organizational culture became more discriminating toward females. The discriminating organizational culture was also correlated negatively with the interpersonal relationship between females(especially the relationship with the female seniors). These results are indicating that the behaviors, the effectiveness ratings and the satisfaction of life of female leaders in Government are restricted by the gender -discriminating organizational culture and the cultural stereotypes of the members in the organization.
This survey research examined the effectiveness, gender identity and the satisfaction of life of female leaders in government, in relation to the organizational culture regarding gender discrimination. The respondents were high -ranking (above 5th grade) male (N=154) and female (N=150) leaders in government and the supervisors (N=139) of the female leaders. The results demonstrated that the effectiveness of female leaders was rated lower as she helped her junior females at work more as a mentor, while she was rated as being more effective as her leadership style became more relationship-oriented. The satisfaction of life of female leaders was higher as she engaged more in mentoring to the junior females and as she had more positive gender identity. However, life satisfaction became lower as the organizational culture became more discriminating toward females. The discriminating organizational culture was also correlated negatively with the interpersonal relationship between females(especially the relationship with the female seniors). These results are indicating that the behaviors, the effectiveness ratings and the satisfaction of life of female leaders in Government are restricted by the gender -discriminating organizational culture and the cultural stereotypes of the members in the organization.