Naïve Dialecticism and Indecisiveness: Mediating Mechanism and Downstream Consequences. (February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ng, Andy H.; Hynie, Michaela
• Is Part Of: Journal of cross-cultural psychology. Volume 47:Number 2(2016)
• Page Start: 263
• Page End: 276
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Subjects: cross-cultural differences -- indecisiveness -- choice difficulty -- East Asian; Ethnopsychology -- Periodicals; 155.805
• DOI: 10.1177/0022022115613861
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0221

Abstract

Previous research suggests that individuals of East Asian (vs. European) cultural backgrounds are more indecisive, and this cultural difference is related to naïve dialecticism, a lay belief system that tolerates contradictory information. The present research extends this line of work by examining a proximal mediating mechanism underlying the relationship between naïve dialecticism and indecisiveness as well as a negative consequence of chronic indecisiveness induced by naïve dialecticism. Results indicated that East Asian (vs. European) Canadian participants were more indecisive in a real educational decision (Study 1) and exhibited lower life satisfaction, which was mediated serially by naïve dialecticism through chronic indecisiveness (Study 2). In Study 3, European Canadian participants who were primed with a dialectical mind-set were more indecisive in a consumer choice task, relative to those not primed, and this effect was mediated by evaluative ambivalence toward the chosen alternative.