Individual and collective processes in the construction of the self: Self-enhancement in the United States and self-criticism in Japan.
Abstract
A collective constructionist theory of the self proposes that many psychological processes, including enhancement of the self (pervasive in the United States) and criticism and subsequent improvement of the self (widespread in Japan), result from and support the very ways in which social acts and situations are collectively defined and subjectively experienced in the respective cultural contexts. In support of the theory, 2 studies showed, first, that American situations are relatively conducive to self-enhancement and American people are relatively likely to engage in self-enhancement and, second, that Japanese situations are relatively conducive to self-criticism and Japanese people are relatively likely to engage in self-criticism. Implications are discussed for the collective construction of psychological processes implicated in the self and, more generally, for the mutual constitution of culture and the self.
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Differences between cultures in how these beliefs are acquired may account for findings of cultural differences in confidence and metacognition and in how people process self-related feedback.
“Differences between cultures in how these beliefs are acquired may account for findings of cultural differences in confidence and metacognition (van der Plas et al. 2022, Yates et al. 1998) and in how people process self-related feedback (Kitayama et al. 1997).”
From Metacognition and Confidence: A Review and Synthesis (2024) · cites this paper as Kitayama et al. 1997
North Americans, compared to East Asians, are especially likely to show self-enhancing biases in social perception.
“North Americans, compared to East Asians, are also especially likely to show self-enhancing biases in social perception (Heine & Hamamura, 2007;Kitayama et al., 1997), which may make them especially motivated to derogate and distance themselves from victims of misfortune as a way to defend their view of themselves as good people subject to just processes.”
From Victim blaming and belief in karma (2024) · cites this paper as Kitayama et al., 1997
Self-enhancement motives tend to be weaker, or even reversed, in Asian samples.
“Self-enhancement motives tend to be weaker, or even reversed, in Asian samples (Heine & Hamamura, 2007;Kitayama et al., 1997)”
From Victim blaming and belief in karma (2024) · cites this paper as Kitayama et al., 1997
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References 107 · Cited by 1,581
- Authors
- Kitayama, S., Markus, H. R., Matsumoto, H., & Norasakkunkit, V.
- Affiliations
- Kyoto University (JP)
- Stanford University (US)
- University of Oregon (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 1997
- Volume
- 72
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1245-1267
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W2014863228
- Cited by
- 1,581
- References
- 107
- Citations by year
- 2026: 44 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 128 · 2022: 52 · 2021: 58 · 2020: 108 · 2019: 52 · 2018: 53 · 2017: 51 · 2016: 62 · 2015: 58 · 2014: 81 · 2013: 75 · 2012: 62
- FWCI
- 45.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Cultural Differences and Values
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Representations and Identity
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Keywords
- self-construction, self-enhancement, self-criticism, culture and personality, cross-cultural comparison, United States, Japan, culture and self
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Asian, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Ethnicity, Female, Gender Identity, Humans, Individuality, Internal-External Control, Male, Personality Inventory, Self Concept, Social Environment, Social Values, Socialization, Students
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