relational mobility – Success Across Cultures

Do they last?

Last week, we discussed relational mobility – an aspect of the social environment that reflects how easily people of different cultures form new relationships and leave existing ones.

The authors of six comprehensive studies encompassing both correlational and experimental designs unveiled significant findings regarding relational mobility in culture.

Let’s take a look at what they’ve found.

The Research

The research hypothesis of these collective studies centered on the notion that individuals residing in cultures characterized by diminished relational mobility would exhibit a heightened propensity for holistic thinking, emphasizing a broader focus on the surrounding social and physical context.

Conversely, those in cultures marked by greater relational mobility would display more analytic thinking.

To substantiate this proposition, the authors explored the disparities in relational mobility across culturally diverse regions, including the United States, Spain, Israel, Nigeria, and Morocco.

Their findings revealed that variances in relational mobility predicted patterns of dispositional bias and the prevalence of holistic or analytic cognitive orientations.

Findings

Some of the greatest findings across these six studies are as follows:

Firstly, individuals in cultures characterized by higher relational mobility exhibited narrower attention spans towards their surrounding context and displayed increased dispositional biases. This was in stark contrast to individuals in cultures with lower relational mobility.
Secondly, the authors identified that relational mobility acted as a mediator, explaining the differences observed between these cultural groups in terms of cognitive tendencies.
Thirdly, the role of locus of control was explored as a mechanism underlying these within-culture effects. It was evident that individuals in high relational mobility environments tended to perceive greater control over their surroundings, particularly within the social realm.
Lastly, relational mobility exhibited a unique predictive power in elucidating why certain cultures leaned towards analytic or holistic cognitive orientations compared to other cultural constructs.

Relational Mobility Shapes Cognitive Behaviors

The degree of relational mobility in an environment, shaped by various factors like subsistence styles, historical threats, or sociopolitical systems, influences individuals’ proximal incentives and shapes their cognitive behaviors.

In contexts with lower relational mobility, interdependence and adherence to social norms tend to dominate, driving individuals toward holistic thinking.

Conversely, higher relational mobility settings foster independence and cultural looseness, encouraging analytic cognitive tendencies.

This research sheds light on how the degree of relational mobility in a society can profoundly impact the way people think, highlighting the interchange between socioecological factors and cognitive tendencies across diverse cultures.

Do you find that you make friends easily?

How keen are you to keep them?

In some environments, people are inclined to maintain lifelong bonds with a select few, fostering enduring connections.

Conversely, in certain social milieus, relationships and group affiliations form and dissolve with greater ease.

Here are a few examples of these contrasting communities.

Enduring Connections

The Japanese tradition of lifetime employment led many post-World War II businessmen to anticipate unwavering allegiance to their companies throughout their careers.

Similarly, those residing in rural or secluded communities often take great pains to avoid being ostracized from established social networks, as alternative companions are relatively scarce in these close-knit societies.

While such contexts offer fewer chances to forge new relationships, they reciprocate with steadfast and dependable existing social ties.

Dissolving Connections

Those communities whose relationships dissolve with greater ease are frequently goal-oriented.

These transient social connections often arise out of mutual convenience, rendering them less stable and dependable.

Take, for instance, professions like investment banking or consulting, particularly in countries like the United States, where these roles are frequently regarded as temporary due to demanding workloads or rigorous criteria for retention and advancement.

Moreover, metropolitan areas characterized by reduced social constraints enable individuals to establish fresh connections and sever old ones without incurring significant social repercussions.

This all has to do with a culture’s relational mobility.

Relational Mobility

Relational mobility is an aspect of the social environment that reflects how easily people can form new relationships and leave existing ones.

Making friends at the drop of a hat is something that is as much cultural as it is a personality trait.

So is abandoning them at will.

The definition of friendship also differs across cultures, as we’ve discussed in a previous post.

Next week, we’ll take a look at a scientific study that dissects relational mobility and see how culture comes into play.