Final answer:
Individuals with an interdependent construal of self, as explained by Markus and Kitayama, are focused on duties and social responsibilities and see themselves as part of a larger community or social network.
Step-by-step explanation:
Markus and Kitayama's seminal 1991 study on cultural psychology and self-construals explains that individuals with an interdependent construal of self strive to meet or even create duties, obligations, and social responsibilities. Unlike those with an independent self-construal, who focus on personal, internal attributes and view the self as a bounded entity separate from others, those with an interdependent view see themselves as part of a larger social matrix and their identity is connected with the relationships they hold.
This perception of self is consistent with the views of sociologists like George Herbert Mead, who highlighted the importance of social interactions in the development of the self, and Charles Cooley's concept of the 'looking glass self' where our self-image is shaped by how we think others view us. Additionally, these notions align with the anthropological perspectives that challenge the Western viewpoint of a separate and distinct self by considering the interconnectedness of individuals within societies.