Self-regulation through Pasang ri Kajang: indigenous psychology among the Ammatoa Kajang community

Abstract

Purpose: to explore self-regulation among the Ammatoa Kajang Indigenous community through the internalization of Pasang ri Kajang values.

Method: this study employed a qualitative intrinsic case study design involving six members of the Ammatoa Kajang Indigenous community in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Data credibility was strengthened through source triangulation, member checking, and an audit trail.

Findings: self-regulation among the Ammatoa Kajang community was deeply shaped by the internalization of Pasang ri Kajang. Four main themes emerged: adherence to custom, cultural identity, simplicity of life (kamase-masea), and the impact of modernization. Self-regulation operated through self-observation, self-judgment, and self-reaction, enabling individuals to monitor, evaluate, and adjust their behavior in accordance with customary values while selectively adapting to social change.

Implications: contributes to indigenous psychology by demonstrating that self-regulation is culturally embedded and can be shaped by indigenous value systems.

Originality: lies in linking Bandura’s self-regulation framework with Pasang ri Kajang as an indigenous value system, highlighting how customary values are internalized and transformed into culturally grounded mechanisms of self-regulation.