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Mirrors in the head: cultural variation in objective self-awareness
Steven J Heine1, Timothy Takemoto, Sophia Moskalenko
1Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. heine@psych.ubc.ca
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|May 6, 2008
Summary
Self-awareness differs across cultures. Unlike North Americans, Japanese individuals showed no change in self-evaluation or behavior when observed in a mirror, highlighting cultural differences in self-perception.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
- Self-Perception Studies
Background:
- Societies with high "face" concerns emphasize external evaluation.
- Individuals in such societies may perceive themselves based on others' views.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if Japanese self-conception is influenced by perceived external evaluation.
- To compare self-evaluation and behavior in Japanese and North American participants under conditions of self-awareness (mirror) versus no self-awareness.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted comparing Japanese and North American participants.
- Participants were either placed in front of a mirror or not.
- Self-criticism and cheating behavior were measured.
Main Results:
- North Americans in front of a mirror were more self-critical and less likely to cheat.
- Japanese participants' self-criticism and behavior were unaffected by the mirror.
- This contrasts with previous findings on North American self-awareness.
Conclusions:
- The presence of a mirror, a manipulation increasing self-awareness, differentially impacts self-perception and behavior in Japanese and North Americans.
- Findings suggest cultural variations in the internalization of social evaluation and its effect on the self.
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