Uncertainty and Conformity: The Mediating Effect of Decisiveness and Need for Structure

  • HAN Ruikang ,
  • LIN Jingyuan ,
  • MEI Ying ,
  • LI Kaiyun ,
  • LIN Fengxun ,
  • LEI Yi ,
  • LI Hong
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  • 1. Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066;
    2. School of Education and Psychology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022

Received date: 2021-04-01

  Online published: 2022-03-20

Abstract

Uncertainty occurs along with the phenomenon of conformity, although the underlying process and the gender difference are not clarified. The current study applied a cross-sectional questionnaire to 804 college participants. The results showed that: 1) uncertainty was positively correlated with conformity; 2) decisiveness and need for structure completely mediated the relationship between uncertainty and conformity and showed a gender difference: the relation between uncertainty and conformity for women was primarily mediated by decisiveness, while that for men was parallelly mediated by decisiveness and need for structure. This study supports the uncertain-identity theory and the two-factor model of cognitive closure, providing a theoretical basis for managing the conformity of genders under uncertainty.

Cite this article

HAN Ruikang , LIN Jingyuan , MEI Ying , LI Kaiyun , LIN Fengxun , LEI Yi , LI Hong . Uncertainty and Conformity: The Mediating Effect of Decisiveness and Need for Structure[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2022 , 20(2) : 174 -181 . DOI: 10.12139/j.1672-0628.2022.02.005

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