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TITLE
Differentiation of Self, Self Construal, and Well Being Among Brazilians
Data are fully collected
The present study intended to confirm the self-construal dimensional model and to examine the
cross-cultural applicability of Bowen’s Family Systems theory in the Brazilian context. Bowen’s
concept of Differentiation of Self (DoS) has gathered substantial empirical evidence for its
association with well-being (1, 2); however, only a few studies have examined these constructs
within Latin American cultures, including Brazil (3, 4). Recent studies have indicated that
independent and interdependent self-construal coexist in many Latin American cultures, such as
Brazil (5). Therefore, the current study examined how the unique blend of independent and
interdependent values in Brazilian culture relates to their DoS, overall psychological well-being,
and satisfaction with life, with a focus on moderation analysis between DoS and self-construal in
Brazilian’s well-being. The sample consisted of 115 Brazilian adults residing in Brazil, who
completed validated self-report measures regarding DoS, self-construal, psychological wellbeing, and satisfaction with life. After conducting correlational and moderation analyses, the
findings support the cross-cultural applicability of DoS with a Brazilian sample, particularly in
revealing that higher DoS was correlated with greater psychological well-being and satisfaction
with life. Analyses also suggested that there were differences in DoS levels based on education
level. It also confirmed that Brazilians lean slightly towards an independent self-construal in
most dimensions, while maintaining an interdependent self-construal in dimensions including
connectedness to others and commitment to others. Additionally, differences versus similarities,
self-containment versus connectedness to others, and self-reliance versus dependence were not
correlated with psychological distress, indicating that not all aspects of interdependent selfconstrual were linked to lower psychological well-being in this sample. Furthermore, the study
also found that an overall independent self-construal was correlated with greater psychological
well-being but not satisfaction with life. Additionally, the only dimensions of independent selfconstrual that showed significant correlations with satisfaction with life were self-direction and
self-expression, indicating that these dimensions might be important predictors of satisfaction
with life among Brazilians. This study highlights the importance of considering DoS and
adopting a balanced perspective on independent and interdependent self-construal when working
with Brazilian individuals. The hypothesis that self-construal would moderate the relationships
between DoS and psychological well-being and satisfaction with life was not supported. This
study is likely the first one to address the relationship between these variables within a Brazilian
sample. However, its findings should be taken into consideration within the context of the
study’s limitations, including sample demographic characteristics, cultural, and contextual
considerations.
References
(1) Calatrava, M., Martins, M. V., Schweer-Collins, M., Duch-Ceballos, C., & RodríguezGonzález, M. (2022). Differentiation of self: A scoping review of Bowen Family Systems
Theory’s core construct. Clinical psychology review, 91, 102101.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102101
(2) Ross, A. S., & Murdock, N. L. (2014). Differentiation of self and well-being: The moderating
effect of self-construal. Contemporary Family Therapy, 36, 485-496.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-014-9311-9
(3) Fiorini, M. C., Bardagi, M. P., Guisso, L., & Crepaldi, M. A. (2021). Impact of Family
Functioning on the Differentiation of Self of Brazilian University Students. Revista de
Psicología, 39(2), 909-931. https://doi.org/10.18800/psico.202102.014
(4) Smith, P. B., Milfont, T. L., & Hauck Filho, N. (2023). Social psychological studies of Latin
American cultures with particular reference to Brazil. Online Readings in Psychology and
Culture, 5(4), 5. https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1182
(5) Krys, K., Vignoles, V. L., De Almeida, I., & Uchida, Y. (2022). Outside the “cultural binary”:
Understanding why Latin American collectivist societies foster independent selves.
Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(4), 1166-1187.
https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916211029632
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