Behavioral evidence for global consciousness transcending national parochialism

• Main Authors: LIU, James H., CHOI, Sarah Y., LEE, I-Ching, LEUNG, Angela K. Y., LEE, Michelle, LIN, Mei Hua, HODGETTS, Darrin, CHEN, Sylvia X.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2023
• Subjects: National parochialism; Global consciousness; cross-national differences; Applied Behavior Analysis; Personality and Social Contexts; Social Psychology
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3863; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/5121/viewcontent/s41598_023_47333_z_pvoa_cc_by.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

While national parochialism is commonplace, individual differences explain more variance in it than cross-national differences. Global consciousness (GC), a multi-dimensional concept that includes identification with all humanity, cosmopolitan orientation, and global orientation, transcends national parochialism. Across six societies (N = 11,163), most notably the USA and China, individuals high in GC were more generous allocating funds to the other in a dictator game, cooperated more in a one-shot prisoner’s dilemma, and differentiated less between the ingroup and outgroup on these actions. They gave more to the world and kept less for the self in a multi-level public goods dilemma. GC profiles showed 80% test–retest stability over 8 months. Implications of GC for cultural evolution in the face of trans-border problems are discussed.