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Why is Self-Enhancement Low in Certain Collectivist Cultures?

An Investigation of Two Competing Explanations

University of Haifa

The purpose of the present study is to compare two alternative explanations for the low self-enhancement that characterizes collectivist cultures: (a) lack of a self-enhancement motive arising from the perceived centrality of others, and (b) cultural restrictions imposed on the self that are manifested by modesty requirements. The validity of the two explanations was investigated in two studies. Study 1 examined how self-enhancement is related to self-esteem and subjective well-being. Results from four samples showed that self-enhancement measures were significantly and positively related to self-esteem and to indices of well-being in collectivist cultures as well as independent ones, revealing the psychological benefits of self-enhancement in all tested cultures. Study 2 found that cultural differences in modesty, not the perceived centrality of others, best explains cultural differences in self-enhancement. Taken together, the results support the notion that cultural restrictions rather than the lack of a self-enhancement motive are responsible for the low self-enhancement found in certain collectivist cultures. Implications of these results for the conceptualization of the interdependent self were discussed.

Key Words: culture • self-enhancement • modesty • interdependent self • collectivism-individualism

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