Lost in a tight world: Cultural tightness threatens self-concept clarity

As an important structural aspect of self-concept, self-concept clarity (SCC) has drawn considerable attention from psychologists who have revealed a series of intra- and inter-personal antecedents. In the current research, we hypothesized that cultural tightness, a sociocultural feature that entails strong social norms and severe sanctions against norm-deviant behavior, could predict and impede SCC. In addition, we were interested in impaired autonomy as a potential downstream consequence of reduced SCC. These hypotheses were confirmed across six studies ( N = 6632, five main studies, and one pilot) using a mixed-method approach. In particular, Chinese college students who perceived a tighter culture in their living environment reported a lower level of SCC (Study 1). Chinese (Study 2A) and American participants (Study 2B) who were temporarily induced to sense support cultural tightness (vs. cultural looseness) showed a decreased level of SCC. Moreover, employing archival data across 57 countries, a pilot study revealed the link between cultural tightness and lower autonomy. Further controlled experiments using a causal chain approach (Studies 3A and 3B) provided evidence that reduced SCC due to perceived cultural tightness could subsequently impede autonomy. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. • Cultural tightness could reduce self-concept clarity. • Impaired autonomy could be a downstream consequence of reduced self-concept clarity resulting from cultural tightness. • A mixed-method approach was used with a survey, archival data and controlled experiments. • This research contributes to the fields of cultural tightness, self-concept clarity, and autonomy.