The Relationship between Interactive Constraints and Self-Construals

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived importance of interactive constraints and the degree of independent and interdependent self-construals; and then analyze the relationship between these two elements. It hypothesizes that independent and interdependent self-construals can have an influence on the individual’s linguistic behavior. It was based upon data analysis taken from a survey of 269 undergraduate students of Keimyung University, aged from 20 to 23. The survey was comprised of two bind situations and a self-construal test. The situations included questions for the perceived importance of interactive constraints, referring to Kim and William(1994:128). The degree of independent and interdependent self-construals was measured using a revised version of Theodore(1994:585)’s Self-Construal Scale. The results showed that independent self-construal was positively correlated with concern for clarity, whereas interdependent self-construal was positively correlated with concerns for the hearer’s feeling and avoiding negative evaluation. This, in turn, led to a greater likelihood of the causality occurring between the two elements.