East Asians exhibit less self-enhancement than North Americans, with modesty norms reducing self-enhancement motivation¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Meta-analytic and cross-cultural evidence shows Euro-Canadians exhibit greater self-enhancement than Japanese counterparts. → Bong 2026

Evidence¶

Bong 2026¶

Bong, M., Jeong, D., Park, S., Suh, J., Kim, S. G., Park, J. C., & Kim, J. (2026). Cultural Insights into the Motivation Paradox of East Asian Learners. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-026-10140-9

q3 · i? · review · r2

The review reports cross-cultural comparisons of Canadian and Japanese college students, attributing the pattern to studies such as Ross et al. (2005) and the meta-analysis by Heine and Hamamura (2007). The review attributes this to modesty being 'a highly valued trait that significantly reduces self-enhancement motivation' in collectivistic cultures.

"Cross-cultural studies comparing Canadian and Japanese college students have indeed documented that Euro-Canadians exhibit greater self-enhancement than their Japanese counterparts (e.g., Ross et al., 2005), a pattern supported by Heine and Hamamura's (2007) meta-analysis."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Other-made choices produce similar or better motivation and performance than self-made choices for East Asian youth, contrary to Western choice findings — related
• Extrinsic motivation to please teachers is positively related to intrinsic motivation among Asian American students but negatively among Caucasian students — related