The Influence of Tertiary Education Disciplines on Self-Construals and Conflict Management Tendencies

• Published in: Frontiers in psychology Vol. 12; p. 659301
• Main Authors: Wee, Sheila X. R., Choo, Wan Yee, Cheng, Chi-Ying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A 04.06.2021
• Subjects: conflict management style; Psychology; self-construal; Singapore; tertiary education; United States
• ISSN: 1664-1078; 1664-1078
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.659301

While cultural difference on self-construal are well-documented, how acculturation to a new cultural environment could change an individual’s self-construal remains under-explored. In this research, how tertiary education disciplines could be associated with the endorsement of self-construals which, in turn, affect students’ conflict management tendencies were explored. Study 1 revealed that across the United States and Singapore, college students from business and social science disciplines exhibited the trend of endorsing more independent and interdependent self-construal respectively, regardless of the different dominant self-construals in the two countries. Study 2 explored how tertiary education disciplines is associated with individuals’ conflict management tendencies via the endorsement of different self-construals among Singaporeans. Findings showed that individuals from business discipline possess a more independent self-construal and in turn endorsed more of a competing conflict management style than those from social sciences. Different disciplinary cultures could link to conflict management tendencies via the endorsement of self-construals, yielding significant theoretical and practical implications.