Abstract
The question of whether or not the need for self-enhancement is culturally universal has been a controversial issue in cultural psychology. Though there have been numerous studies arguing that East Asians also have the need for self-enhancement, the controversy remained. We contend that the field is ready to see a cohesive theory that integrates and explains when and why East Asians do and do not manifest their need for self-enhancement. In this paper, we provide the theoretical logics of and rationales behind face and dignity cultures as the new theoretical proxies that integrate and explain East Asians' self-enhancing behaviors, supplementing the former approach that uses the individualism-collectivism dichotomy. In particular, four representative properties of face culture - humility, public (versus private) concern, prevention regulatory focus, and harmony - are discussed to explain cross-cultural differences in the extent and ways of manifestations of self-enhancement motivation between European Americans and East Asians. Theoretical corroborations and empirical findings supporting this approach are also discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 314-327 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Social and Personality Psychology Compass |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Unpacking east-west differences in the extent of self-enhancement from the perspective of face versus dignity culture. / Lee, Hae In; Leung, Angela K y; Kim, Young Hoon.
In: Social and Personality Psychology Compass, Vol. 8, No. 7, 2014, p. 314-327.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Unpacking east-west differences in the extent of self-enhancement from the perspective of face versus dignity culture
AU - Lee, Hae In
AU - Leung, Angela K y
AU - Kim, Young Hoon
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - The question of whether or not the need for self-enhancement is culturally universal has been a controversial issue in cultural psychology. Though there have been numerous studies arguing that East Asians also have the need for self-enhancement, the controversy remained. We contend that the field is ready to see a cohesive theory that integrates and explains when and why East Asians do and do not manifest their need for self-enhancement. In this paper, we provide the theoretical logics of and rationales behind face and dignity cultures as the new theoretical proxies that integrate and explain East Asians' self-enhancing behaviors, supplementing the former approach that uses the individualism-collectivism dichotomy. In particular, four representative properties of face culture - humility, public (versus private) concern, prevention regulatory focus, and harmony - are discussed to explain cross-cultural differences in the extent and ways of manifestations of self-enhancement motivation between European Americans and East Asians. Theoretical corroborations and empirical findings supporting this approach are also discussed.
AB - The question of whether or not the need for self-enhancement is culturally universal has been a controversial issue in cultural psychology. Though there have been numerous studies arguing that East Asians also have the need for self-enhancement, the controversy remained. We contend that the field is ready to see a cohesive theory that integrates and explains when and why East Asians do and do not manifest their need for self-enhancement. In this paper, we provide the theoretical logics of and rationales behind face and dignity cultures as the new theoretical proxies that integrate and explain East Asians' self-enhancing behaviors, supplementing the former approach that uses the individualism-collectivism dichotomy. In particular, four representative properties of face culture - humility, public (versus private) concern, prevention regulatory focus, and harmony - are discussed to explain cross-cultural differences in the extent and ways of manifestations of self-enhancement motivation between European Americans and East Asians. Theoretical corroborations and empirical findings supporting this approach are also discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84903742615&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/spc3.12112
DO - 10.1111/spc3.12112
M3 - Article
VL - 8
SP - 314
EP - 327
JO - Social and Personality Psychology Compass
JF - Social and Personality Psychology Compass
SN - 1751-9004
IS - 7
ER -