Everything also I want: An exploratory study of SingaporeanKiasuism(fear of losing out)

Abstract

Kiasuism (fear of losing out) is a prominent cultural trait of Singapore that encompasses greed, selfishness, and inconsiderate behavior. It contributes to social problems in education and entrepreneurship. Despite its pervasiveness and negative impact, kiasuism is not well understood. The three studies that have tried to conceptualize it offer conflicting conclusions about its properties. The two existing measures focus exclusively on behavior while neglecting motivation. Inconsistencies in the conceptualization and operationalization of kiasuism warrant a fresh exploration of the construct. Our analysis of qualitative interviews with 36 Singaporean undergraduates provided a clearer understanding of kiasuism by identifying cognitive aspects in addition to behavior. Our results suggest that kiasuism is a single dimension with a range of outcomes, and the motivation for a behavior is the key to determining whether it is kiasu. Our research provides a foundation for a variety of directions for future research, both theoretical and practical. Keywords Chinese, culture, fear of losing, qualitative research, Singapore, social norms, social relations, university students ''Everything also I want,'' ''Everything also must grab,'' ''Everything also number one'': with these mottos, Mr. Kiasu, a selfish grab-all-you-can character in Johnny Lau's 1990s comic books, became iconic of Singapore. Since the release of the first comic book, a television series featuring Mr. Kiasu and a range of popular

Examining the Cultural Marginalisation Theory of Neet/Hikikomori Risk Tendencies in Singaporean Youth

“…Culturally, it is a society that is rooted in East-Asian collectivism and interdependence, with shared tendencies across local ethnicities. One notable example would be the widespread existence of the culture-specific Kiasu trait, a colloquial Singaporean (Singlish) term describing a set of values that encompasses social comparisons, and a fear of falling behind (Bedford & Chua, 2018). This stems from interdependent Confucianist values of face and morality, that motivate one to pursue success for the sake of others (Bedford & Hwang, 2003), and is considered a widely adopted social norm regardless of racial/ethnic background (Cheng & Hong, 2017).…”

The impact of fear of losing out (FoLO) on college students’ performance goal orientations and learning strategies in Singapore

“…In the current paper, we follow the more recent definition of FoLO as a mindset (Wee et al, 2022 ). As previous papers highlighted (Bedford & Chua, 2018 ; Goh, 2013 ), behaviours alone are insufficient to accurately assess individual differences in FoLO. The same behaviour may have different underlying psychological processes, depicting totally different motives.…”

Does the entrepreneurial state crowd out entrepreneurship?

“…Despite the efforts of the state to foster curiosity and innovation in schools, research has shown that students in Singapore are still prioritizing performing well in exams rather than mastering the process of learning (Bedford & Chua, 2018). Chua and Bedford (2016) point out that the desire to become an entrepreneur is particularly low in Singaporean young adults due to a fear of failure.…”

“…Entrepreneurship is perceived as a risky career choice that could result in failure, wasted time, and as less desirable than other pathways (Chua & Bedford, 2016). Similarly, Bedford and Chua (2018) argue that Singapore's youth still have little interest in entrepreneurship because of the risk of failure, which in Singapore is seen not only as financial failure but also as social failure relative to peers and thus is highly stigmatized.…”