Independent and Interdependent Models of Identity

An independent self is defined as an identity model where the self is unique and fundamentally separate from others. This is a common view for westerners. In this model, the individual strive to enhance his own image, acts according to individual preferences & needs, and values high arousal & excitement. An interdependent self is defined as an identity model where the self is fundamentally connected to others. This is a common view for many easterners. In this model, the individual strive to maintain social harmony, acts according to social norms & expectations, and values low arousal & calmness.

In the independent model, choice is the very signature of being a good independent self. Western parents foster this behavior by allowing children to have their own rooms, choose their own activities, and pursue their own passions as they see fit. This is reflected in the anagram completion study (Iyengar & Lepper 1999) presented in lecture (Markus 1/10/2011). In this study, American children perform best when they chose the anagrams themselves, rather than an anagram picked by the experimenter or their mother. This practice of individual choice reinforces and shapes the independent model by appealing to people’s sense of autonomy and uniqueness.
In cultures that practice the interdependent model, people strive to act in ways that would promote group harmony, especially within family. One way of doing this is to always be mindful of other people’s reactions and the consequences of your own action. For example, the unique pen choice study (Kim & Markus 1999) shows that Asian-descent participants always opt towards a common pen (many with the same color) rather than the unique pen (only one with that color). In this case, the participants are thinking of the people after them: if they pick the unique pen, then the next person will only have one choice of color left. That, in an interdependent society, would be inconsiderate and a violation of group harmony.