@article{oai:nagoya.repo.nii.ac.jp:00025785, author = {TERASHIMA, Yuto and TAKAI, Jiro}, journal = {名古屋大学大学院教育発達科学研究科紀要. 心理発達科学}, month = {Dec}, note = {Coping toward psychological threat is important in our everyday lives, even if we choose to overcome or avoid it. While most of the research conducted on this theme has originated from the Western world, the conception, function and content of psychological threat may differ by culture. The theories pertaining to psychological threat and self-defense processes are likely to have been devised by Western researchers, under Western cultural assumptions, and based on samples consisting of Western people. Cross-cultural psychologists have noted that differences in culture may exist in understanding and responding to psychological threat, yet few systematic and large-scale cross-cultural research have been conducted. Those that have been published indicate that individualism-collectivism is highly relevant to how we deal with psychological threat. Individualists perceive incidents that threaten their self-concept as an autonomous individual constitute psychological threat, while on the other hand, collectivists view relational issues to be a stronger threat. Should this cultural difference hold true, the replicability of Western studies on Eastern samples may be up to question. Some theorists have taken into account cultural differences in psychological threat, and have revised their theories in order to interpret data from different cultural backgrounds. The aim of this article is to construct a useful framework for interpreting cultural differences across types of psychological threat based on individualismcollectivism and holistic versus analytic thinking. In this article, research regarding psychological threat was reviewed, such as existential threat, uncertainty threat, and cognitive dissonance, in terms of self-concept and relationships so as to organize studies that could be associated with both culture and psychological threat. This review elaborates on individuals’ adaptation toward each culture, which is considered to be the root of differences in the perception of threat. In short, in individualistic cultures, psychological threat pertaining to one’s self-concept might cast serious doubts on their adaption and success within their culture. Likewise, in collectivistic cultures, psychological threat pertaining to one’s relationships might play a role in this. Individuals under such psychologically threatening situations must respond hurriedly in order to cope toward them to maintain their adaptation, and hence they will show psychological self-defense or compensation. Furthermore, this review briefly describes several psychological threat theories, such as Terror Management Theory, Uncertainty Identity Theory, Reactive Approach Motivation Theory, and Cognitive Dissonance Theory, taking into consideration their applicability toward interpretation of cultural differences based on individualism-collectivism, holistic versus analytic thinking, and the assumption mentioned above. Future studies should address the effect of culture on psychological self-defense and compensation because most literature, including this article, focus on the effect of culture on psychological threat perception preceding them.}, pages = {165--182}, title = {Cultural differences in the perception of psychological threat and compensation}, volume = {64}, year = {2017} }