But, Words Can Never Hurt Me If

Cultural Relativity in Evaluating Appraisals, Attributions, and Consequences of Hurtful Messages

Bibliographic Data

ID21190386
AuthorsRobert S Tokunaga (0000-0001-6302-7532, corresponding author)
Year2008
Volume37
Issue3
Pages169-188
Publication date2008-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Intercultural Communication Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1747-5759 • E-ISSN: 1747-5767
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17475750903135358
OpenAlexW2056009957
LanguageEN
References cited59

The study explored the influence of self-construals, a well-investigated and important dimension of culture, on the process of feeling and responding to hurt. Participants responded to a survey measuring self-construals, overall hurt feelings, mood, attributions, and relational consequences. The findings revealed that interdependence was positively associated with hurt feelings, but found no support for the relationship between independence and hurt. Independence was associated with positive moods subsequent to receipt of a hurtful message, whereas greater negative moods were related to higher degrees of interdependence. Independence was related to greater potential for using assertive responses. Finally, higher degrees of interdependence were related to the perception of greater strain on the relationship. The results, taken as a whole, demonstrate that the way in which people experience hurtful messages is influenced, in part, by specific cultural values. As such, the way self is construed in relation to the environment must be taken into consideration in future theorizing on hurt in interpersonal relationships

Ascription · Attribution · Construal level theory · Construals · Feeling · Interpersonal communication · Mood · Perception · Cultural Differences and Values · Emotions and Moral Behavior · International Student and Expatriate Challenges · Psychology · Social Psychology

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