Abstract

Three studies were conducted to explore psychological meanings of ingo (painful endurance) for Koreans. Study 1 analyzed ingo-related everyday behavior of Koreans and Study 2 did Korean folk tales. Analyses uncovered that ingo was different on both the intended-unintended and the self-other oriented dimensions. However, ingo was perceived to be followed by positive outcomes in most cases. In Study 3, two scenarios were constructed, one for ingo and the other for non-ingo behavior, for each of four types of ingo. Then 262 participants rated those eight scenarios in relation to outcomes from ingo and non-ingo behavior. Results indicated that positive outcomes from ingobehavior were more valuable and legitimate than those from non-ingo behavior. Also, participants were more sympathetic to those individuals whom negative outcomes were incurred to through ingo experiences. Further, higher values were assigned to ingo behavior per se than to non-ingo behavior. However, differences in possibility of accompanying positive outcome between ingo and non-ingo behavior varied as a function of ingo-context. All of these findings were discussed in relation to the Korean culture.