Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between unrealistic optimism and independent-interdependent construals of self in Korean culture, which has been assumed through cross-cultural studies. In assumption that independent construal and interdependent construal of self are relatively independent, we studied Korean students' optimism bias. As result, in contrast to Japanese students who showed strong unrealistic pessimism bias, Korean students showed unrealistic optimism bias. And though their independent construal of self was weaker than their interdependent construal of self, it was considerably stronger than Japanese independent construal of self. Furthermore, optimism bias was related to the independent view of self, but it wasn't related to the interdependent view of self. These results suggest that pessimism bias of the Japanese is not due to the strong interdependent view of self but to the weak independent view of self, and that the Koreans showed optimism bias because they have rather strong independent construal of self as well as strong interdependent construal of self on which Eastern cultures insist. We also discussed universality and diversity of independent-interdependent construals of self and proposed the concept of religious world view as anther cultural factor that explains unrealistic optimism.