Self-referential processing accounts for cultural variation in self-enhancement versus criticism: An electrocortical investigation.

ABSTRACT: European Americans are self-enhancing, whereas East Asians are sometimes self-critical. However, the mechanisms underlying this cultural difference remain unclear. Here, we addressed this gap by testing 32 Taiwanese and 32 American young adults, who indicated whether their self-esteem would change in various episodes involving success or failure. We monitored their electroencephalogram (EEG) and assessed upper-alpha band power in response to the outcome information. An increase in upper-alpha power indicates internally directed attention; therefore, it is an index of self-referential processing when assessed during a judgment about the self. As predicted, Americans judged that their self-esteem (but not another's) would increase more after a success than it would decrease after a failure,

SUBMITTER: Salvador CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10756494 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature