Cultural influences upon health, affect, self-esteem and impulsiveness: An Indonesian-Swedish comparison

2013 IJRSP – Volume 2 Issue 3

Author/s:

Adrianson, Lillemor*
School of Education and Behavioral Sciences, University of Boras, Sweden (lillemor.adrianson@hb.se)

Ancok, Djamaludin
Faculty of Psychology, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia (ancokpsi@ugm.ac.id)

Ramdhani, Neila*
Faculty of Psychology, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia (neila_psi@ugm.ac.id)

Archer, Trevor
Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden (trevor.archer@hb.se)

Abstract:

The present study examines several personal attributes that distinguish the personal profiles of individuals, from Indonesian and Swedish cultures, according to self-reports of positive and negative effect, stress and energy, self-esteem, hospital anxiety and depression, dispositional optimism and health. Indonesian participants expressed both more PA and more NA than Swedish participants but less stress and a higher energy-stress quotient than the Swedish participants. Additionally, the former expressed a higher level of optimism and self-esteem, but also more depression, and less impulsiveness than the latter. Younger participants expressed less positive affect and more negative affect and impulsiveness than older participants who expressed both more stress and a higher energy stress quotient. Regression analyses indicated that PA was predicted by optimism and health whereas NA was predicted by anxiety and depression and impulsiveness and counter predicted by health. The present findings are discussed according to the notion of emotional regulation according to which individuals differ in their use of emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal and suppression, and these individual differences have implications for affect, well-being, and social relationships.

Keywords: culture; age; affect; impulsiveness; self-esteem; optimism; stress; health

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsp.2013.228

*Corresponding Author