Choice and self-expression: A cultural analysis of variety-seeking.
Abstract
Three studies examined whether the tendency to seek variety in choices depends in part on cultural assumptions of choice and uniqueness. Study 1 showed that people from different cultures where different assumptions of choice and uniqueness dominate show different levels of variety in their choice rule use. Study 2 primed participants with magazine ads highlighting different representations of uniqueness dominant in individualist versus collectivist cultures to show the influence of cultural meanings of uniqueness on the variety-seeking tendency. Study 3 manipulated the motivation to display variety to demonstrate that variety-seeking in the United States partly hinges on cultural meanings of choice as self-expression. Variety-seeking in choice rule use was eliminated when participants had the chance to self-express through choice listing. The research illustrates the role of cultural assumptions in the variety-seeking tendency.
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The need for variety and uniqueness is weaker in East Asian cultures compared with Western cultures.
“Similarly, the need for variety and uniqueness is weaker in East Asian cultures compared with Western cultures (Kim & Drolet, 2003; Kim & Markus, 1999).”
From Creativity: The Influence of Cultural, Social, and Work Contexts (2010) · cites this paper as Kim & Drolet, 2003
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References 54 · Cited by 300
- Authors
- Kim, H. S., & Drolet, A.
- Affiliations
- Harvey Mudd College (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 2003
- Volume
- 85
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 373-382
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W2116417244
- Cited by
- 300
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 6.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Cultural Differences and Values
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification
- Keywords
- variety seeking, choice rules, self-expression, uniqueness, individualism-collectivism, cultural assumptions, consumer choice, priming
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Choice Behavior, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Culture, Exploratory Behavior, Female, Humans, Individuality, Korea, Male, Self Disclosure, Students, United States, Logistic Models
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