Mapping self-control strategies: A cross-cultural network analysis in collectivist and individualist contexts

Abstract

Recent theoretical perspectives suggest that self-control could be achieved not only through “effortful” inhibition of impulses but also through strategies that prevent impulses from arising. Cultural models of agency and self-regulation propose that self-concepts shaped by collectivism and individualism lead to different preferences for self-control strategies. However, limited research has explored these cultural differences. This study employed network analysis to examine cross-cultural variations in self-control strategies. The Self-Control Strategy Scale (SCSS) was administered to 732 Chinese participants and 838 American participants to compare their network structures of self-control strategy. Results indicated notable differences in the self-control strategy networks between the two cultural groups. Specifically, in the Chinese self-control strategy network, situation selection emerged as the most central strategy, while reappraise dominated the American network. These findings suggest that collectivist cultures prioritize externally-scaffolded strategies (e.g., situation selection), whereas individualist cultures emphasize intra-psychic strategies (e.g., reappraise).