Date of Award

11-2025

Document Type

Doctoral Research Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Mariana M. Juras

Second Advisor

Scott A. Gustafson

Third Advisor

Kaitlynn M. Gokey

Fourth Advisor

Lisa A. Steelman

Abstract

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; however, only a few studies have examined these constructs within Latin American cultures, including Brazil. Recent studies have indicated that independent and interdependent self-construal coexist in many Latin American cultures, such as Brazil. 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 well-being, 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 self-construal 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 self-construal 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.

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