Self-Concept Clarity and Romantic Breakup Distress in Argentina and the United States

Abstract

This study implemented a culturally sensitive approach to understanding self-concept clarity and relationship breakup distress reported by emerging adults in Argentina and the USA. Due to cultural tendencies involving individuality and interpersonal connections, we expected that country would moderate the association between self-concept clarity and breakup distress, with Argentinians showing a stronger inverse association between self-concept clarity and breakup distress compared to North Americans. In a sample of 270 emerging adults (160 from Argentina, 110 from the USA), we first evaluated measurement invariance then used a structural model to test breakup distress regressed on self-concept clarity. The major analyses controlled for six relationship breakup-related potential confounds. Contrary to expectations, results indicated that North Americans demonstrated a stronger negative relationship between self-concept clarity and breakup distress compared to Argentinians. Our findings highlight the importance of further cross-cultural research in understanding the complexities of self-concept clarity in diverse cultural contexts.