Self‐construals as motivating factors in opinion shifts resulting from exposure to majority opinions

This study investigated the relationship between self‐construals and opinion change as a reaction to information about majority opinions. The results indicated that the more interdependent an individual's self‐construals the more likely the individual was to consider his/her classmates’ majority opinions. Conversely, the more independent an individual's self‐construals the more likely the individual was to value his/her own opinions. However, when the direct relationships between the strength of self‐construals and convergence of opinions toward majority opinions were examined, the strength of interdependent self‐construals (rather than independent self‐construals) predicted a decrease in opinion convergence. Therefore, information on majority opinions did not motivate people with interdependent self‐construals to converge with majority opinions, even though those with interdependent self‐construals reported that majority opinions were important considerations.