The dialectical self: The internal consistency, cross-situational consistency, and temporal stability of self-conception

Originating in East Asian epistemologies, naïve dialecticism gives rise to contradictory, ever-changing, and interrelated perceptions of all entities, including the self. It influences the self in three fundamental ways, specifically, by affecting the (1) internal consistency, (2) cross-situational consistency, and (3) temporal stability of the content and structure of people's self-conceptions. This chapter reviews the cross-cultural research that shows that Westerners possess more consistent and stable self-conceptions over time and across situations, whereas East Asians possess more variable and contextualized self-views, at both an explicit and implicit level. The chapter further discusses some of the consequences of the dialectical self (e.g., in bilingual/bicultural contexts) and presents directions for future research.