One Person in the Battlefield is not a warrior: Self-Construal, Perceived Ability to Make a Difference, and Socially Responsible Behavior

• Authors: Gert Cornelissen.
• BSE Working Paper: 110077 | September 15
• Keywords: self-construal , interdependent self , independent self , socially responsible behavior , perceived effectiveness
• JEL codes: C91, D64
• self-construal
• interdependent self
• independent self
• socially responsible behavior
• perceived effectiveness

We suggest that cultivating an individual´s connectedness to others promotes socially responsible behavior both directly and indirectly – through increased perceived ability to make a difference. Individuals whose interdependent self is more prominent feel they have more of an impact on larger scale societal outcomes and, therefore, engage more in socially responsible behaviors than do individuals whose independent self is more prominent. We test these hypotheses in two experiments in which participants make financial contributions or exert an effort for a social cause. In a survey, we find that perceived effectiveness mediates the effect of self-construal on socially responsible consumption.