Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Does having multiple identities predict life satisfaction? Holistic thinking as a condition for achieving integrated self-concept

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In today’s diverse and mobile world, it is common for people to engage in different roles, which make their self-concept more complex and layered, hence enriching their cognitive and behavioural repertoires. Given the importance of the self-concept, it is worthwhile to further understand the process and condition of the self on psychological functioning. The present research aims to investigate the effect of multiple identities on life satisfaction and identify the mechanism underlying this linkage and its boundary condition. We hypothesised a moderated mediation model with multiple identities predicting life satisfaction through identity integration, and the development of a cohesive self-concept depends largely on people’s holistic thinking, a cognitive tendency to attend to the linkages among objects and orient towards the context or field as a whole, instead of focusing on the unique properties of discrete objects. Results converged from Study 1 (N = 383) and Study 2 (N = 210) to support the mediating effect of identity integration on the association between multiple identities and life satisfaction. Moreover, we found in Study 2 that the relation between multiple identities and life satisfaction was significant when holistic thinking was high or moderate, but not when holistic thinking was low. In sum, the present research provided empirical evidence that identity integration represents the key mechanism, whereas holistic thinking represents the key condition in determining how multiple identities can be associated with life satisfaction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  • Adams, G. R., Ryan, B. A., & Keating, L. (2000). Family relationships, academic environments, and psychosocial development during the university experience: A longitudinal investigation. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15, 99–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arias-Valenzuela, M., Amoit, C. E., & Ryder, A. G. (2019). Identity configurations and well-being during normative cultural conflict: The roles of multiculturals’ conflict management strategies and academic stage. European Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 970–991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benet-Martínez, V., & Haritatos, J. (2005). Bicultural identity integration (BII): Components and psychosocial antecedents. Journal of Personality, 73, 1015–1050.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Benet-Martínez, V., Leu, J., Lee, F., & Morris, M. W. (2002). Negotiating biculturalism: Cultural frame switching in biculturals with oppositional versus compatible cultural identities. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33, 492–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biddle, B. J. (1979). Role theory: Expectations, identities and behaviors. Academic Press.

  • Biddle, B. J. (1986). Recent developments in role theory. Annual Review of Sociology, 12, 67–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brislin, R. W. (1986). The wording and translation of research instruments. In W. L. Lonner & J. W. Berry (Eds.), Field methods in cross-cultural research (pp.137–164). Sage.

  • Brook, A. T., Garcia, J., & Fleming, M. A. (2008). The effects of multiple identities on psychological well-being. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 1588–1600. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167208324629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, B. M. (2001). Structural equation modeling with AMOS, EQS, and LISREL: Comparative approaches to testing for the factorial validity of a measuring instrument. International Journal of Testing, 1, 55–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cacioppo, J. T., Petty, R. E., Feinstein, J. A. & Jarvis, W. B. G. (1996). Dispositional differences in cognitive motivation: The life and times of individuals varying in need for cognition. Psychological Bulletin, 119, 197–253.

  • Chen, S. X., Benet-Martínez, V., & Bond, M. H. (2008). Bicultural identity, bilingualism, and psychological adjustment in multicultural societies: Immigration-based and globalization-based acculturation. Journal of Personality, 76, 803–838. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00505.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, S. X., Benet-Martínez, V., Wu, W. C. H., Lam, B. C. P., & Bond, M. H. (2013). The role of dialectical self and bicultural identity integration in psychological adjustment. Journal of Personality, 81, 61–75.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, C. Y., Sanchez-Burks, J., & Lee, F. (2008). Connecting the dots within: Creative performance and identity integration. Psychological Science, 19, 1178–1184. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02220.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, F. M., & Halpern, D. F. (2010). Women at the top: Powerful leaders define success as work + family in a culture of gender. The American Psychologist, 65, 182–193. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017309.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, I., Koo, M., & Choi, J. A. (2007). Individual differences in analytic versus holistic thinking. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 691–705.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chua, H. F., Boland, J. E., & Nisbett, R. E. (2005). Cultural variation in eye movements during scene perception. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102, 12629–12633.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coutinho, S., Wiemer-Hastings, K., Skowronski, J. J., & Britt, M. A. (2005). Metacognition, need for cognition and use of explanations during ongoing learning and problem solving. Learning and Individual Differences, 15, 321–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2005.06.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E. D., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7, 117–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frazier, P. A., Tix, A. P., & Barron, K. E. (2004). Testing moderator and mediator effects in counseling psychology research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51, 115–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haritatos, J., & Benet-Martínez, V. (2002). Bicultural identities: The interface of cultural, personality, and socio-cognitive processes. Journal of Research in Personality, 36, 598–606. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00510-X.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, A. (2015). An index and test of linear moderated mediation. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 50, 1–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsh, J. B., & Kang, S. K. (2016). Mechanisms of identity conflict: Uncertainty, anxiety, and the behavioral inhibition system. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 20, 223–244.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, A. J., & Park, B. (2013). Oppositional identities: Dissimilarities in how women and men experience parent versus professional roles. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105, 193–216. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032681.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indices in covariance structure analysis: Conventional versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huynh, Q.-L., Nguyen, A.-M. D., & Benet-Martínez, V. (2011). Bicultural identity integration. In S. J. Schwartz, K. Luyckx, & V. L. Vignoles (Eds.), Handbook of identity theory and research (pp. 827–844). Springer.

  • Keller, E. F. (2001). The anomaly of a woman in physics. In M. Wyer, M. Barbercheck, D. Geisman, H. O. Ozturk, & M. Wayne (Eds.), Women, science, and technology: A reader in feminist science studies (pp. 9–16). Routledge.

  • Koc, Y., & Vignoles, V. L. (2016). Global identification predicts gay–male identity integration and well-being among Turkish gay men. British Journal of Social Psychology, 55, 643–661. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12160.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, J., Chen, S. X., & Bond, M. H. (2015). Housework allocation and gender (in)equality: The Chinese case. In S. Safdar & N. Kosakowska-Berezecka (Eds.), Psychology of gender through the lens of culture (pp. 77–91). Springer.

  • Linville, P. W. (1985). Self-complexity and affective extremity: Don’t put all of your eggs in one cognitive basket. Social Cognition, 3, 94–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linville, P. W. (1987). Self-complexity as a cognitive buffer against stress-related illness and depression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 663–676.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MacCallum, R. C., Browne, M. W., & Sugawara, H. M. (1996). Power analysis and determination of sample size for covariance structure modeling. Psychological Methods, 1, 130–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKinnon, D. P., Lockwood, C. M., & Williams, J. (2004). Confidence limits for the indirect effect: Distribution of the product and resampling methods. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39, 99–128.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Maddux, W. W., Lu, J. G., Affinito, S. J., & Galinsky, A. D. (2020). Multicultural experiences: A systematic review and new theoretical framework. Academy of Management Annals. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2019.0138.

  • Manzi, C., Paderi, F., Benet-Martínez, V., & Coen, S. (2018). Age-based stereotype threat and negative outcomes in the workplace: Exploring the role of identity integration. European Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 705–716. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, J. (1984). Women managers: Travelers in a male world. Wiley.

  • Masuda, T., Gonzalez, R., Kwan, L., & Nisbett, R. (2008). Culture and aesthetic preference: Comparing the attention to context of east Asians and Americans. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 1260–1275.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Masuda, T., & Nisbett, R. E. (2001). Attending holistically versus analytically: Comparing the context sensitivity of Japanese and Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 922–934. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.81.5.922.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McConnell, A. R., Strain, L. M., Brown, C. M., & Rydell, R. J. (2009). The simple life: On the benefits of low self-complexity. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 823–835.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mok, A., & Morris, M. W. (2012). Managing two cultural identities: The malleability of bicultural identity integration as a function of induced global or local processing. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 233–246. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167211426438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mor, S., Mehta, P., Fridman, I., & Morris, M. (2014). Iron fist in a velvet glove: Gender/professional identity integration promotes women's negotiation performance. Available at SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2451067.

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2012). Mplus user’s guide (7th ed.) Muthén & Muthén.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng, C. T. W., Ward, C., & Szabóc, Á. (2019). Dual identification, multicultural identity styles, and intergroup evaluations: Some preliminary findings. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 72, 122–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, A.-M. D., & Benet-Martínez, V. (2013). Biculturalism and adjustment: A meta-analysis. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44, 122–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022111435097.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nisbett, R. E. (2003). The geography of thought: How Asians and westerners think differently and why. The Free Press.

  • Nisbett, R. E., Peng, K., Choi, I., & Norenzayan, A. (2001). Culture and systems of thought: Holistic versus analytic cognition. Psychological Review, 108, 291–310.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Norenzayan, A., Choi, I., & Nisbett, R. E. (2002a). Cultural similarities and differences in social inference: Evidence from behavioral predictions and lay theories of behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 109–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norenzayan, A., Smith, E. E., Kim, B. J., & Nisbett, R. E. (2002b). Cultural preferences for formal versus intuitive reasoning. Cognitive Science, 26, 653–684.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1991). How college affects students. Jossey-Bass.

  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879–891.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Preacher, K. J., & Kelley, K. (2011). Effect sizes measures for mediation models: Quantitative strategies for communicating indirect effects. Psychological Methods, 16, 93–115.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Preacher, K. J., Rucker, D. D., & Hayes, A. F. (2007). Addressing moderated mediation hypotheses: Theory, methods, and prescriptions. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 42, 185–227.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rafaeli-Mor, E., & Steinberg, J. (2002). Self-complexity and well-being: A review and research synthesis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 6, 31–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Senzaki, S., Masuda, T., & Ishii, K. (2014). When is perception top–down and when is it not? Culture, narrative, and attention. Cognitive Science: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 38, 1493–1506. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Settles, I. H. (2004). When multiple identities interfere: The role of identity centrality. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 487–500. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167203261885.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Settles, I. H., Sellers, R. M., & Damas Jr., A. (2002). One role or two?: The function of psychological separation in role conflict. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 574–582. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.3.574.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R. W., & Redden, J. P. (2020). The role of holistic processing in simultaneous consumption. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 91, 104023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2020.104023.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, S. J., Logel, C., & Davies, P. G. (2016). Stereotype threat. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 415–437. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-073115-103235.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steele, C. M. (1988). The psychology of self-affirmation: Sustaining the integrity of the self. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 21, pp. 261–302). Academic Press.

  • Stryker, S., & Serpe, R. T. (1982). Commitment, identity salience, and role behavior. In W. I. E. Knowles (Ed.), Personality, roles, and social behavior (pp. 199–218). Springer-Verlag.

  • Stryker, S., & Serpe, R. T. (1994). Identity salience and psychological centrality: Equivalent, overlapping, or complementary concepts? Social Psychology Quarterly, 57, 16–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tadmor, C. T., & Tetlock, P. E. (2006). Biculturalism: A model of the effects of second-culture exposure on acculturation and integrative complexity. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37, 173–190. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022105284495.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tetlock, P. E. (1992). The impact of accountability on judgment and choice: Toward a social contingency model. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 25, 331–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tetlock, P. E. (2002). Social functionalist frameworks for judgment and choice: Intuitive politicians, theologians, and prosecutors. Psychological Review, 109, 451–471. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.109.3.451.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1983). Multiple identities and psychological well-being: A reformulation and test of the social isolation hypothesis. American Sociological Review, 48, 174–187.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tikhonov, A. A., Espinosa, A., Huynh, Q.-L., & Anglin, D. M. (2019). Bicultural identity harmony and American identity are associated with positive mental health in U.S. racial and ethnic minority immigrants. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 25, 494–504. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000268.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, J. C., Hogg, M. A., Oakes, P. J., Reicher, S. D. & Wetherell, M. S. (1987). Rediscovering the social group: A self-categorization theory. Blackwell Jordan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Sell, M., Brief, A. P., & Schuler, R. S. (1981). Role conflict and role ambiguity: Integration of the literature and directions for future research. Human Relations, 34, 43–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallen, A. S., Mor, S., & Devine, B. A. (2014). It’s about respect: Gender−professional identity integration affects male nurses’ job attitudes. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 15, 305–312. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033714.

  • Ward, C., Ng, C. T. W. Szabo, A., Qumseya, T., & Bhowon, U. (2018). Hybrid and alternating identity styles as strategies for managing multicultural identities. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 49, 1402–1439. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022118782641.

  • Yampolsky, M. A., Amiot, C. E., & de la Sablonnière, R. (2016). The multicultural identity integration scale (MULTIIS): Developing a comprehensive measure for configuring one’s multiple cultural identities within the self. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 22, 166–184. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000043.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, G. H., & Judd, C. M. (1993). Statistical difficulties of detecting interactions and moderator effects. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 376–390.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The research was supported in part by the Departmental General Research Grant (P0014017) from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Hilary K. Y. Ng

  2. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Sylvia Xiaohua Chen

  3. Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Jacky C. K. Ng

  4. Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong

    Ting Kin Ng

Authors
  1. Hilary K. Y. Ng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sylvia Xiaohua Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jacky C. K. Ng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ting Kin Ng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hilary K. Y. Ng.

Ethics declarations

Ethics Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the Human Subjects Ethics Sub-committee of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Consent to Participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Consent for Publication

The participant has consented to the submission of the article to the journal.

Conflicts of Interest/Competing Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ng, H.K.Y., Chen, S.X., Ng, J.C.K. et al. Does having multiple identities predict life satisfaction? Holistic thinking as a condition for achieving integrated self-concept. Curr Psychol 42, 789–799 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01477-1

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01477-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation