PSYC 100 - EXAM 3 WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWERS 2025/2026
What are self-enhancement, self-esteem, and self-serving bias?
correct answers >> Self-enhancement: the tendency and
motivation to view oneself positively.
Self-esteem: the positivity of one's overall evaluation of oneself.
Self-serving bias: A tendency for people to view themselves in
unrealistically positive terms. This tendency leads individuals to
attribute success to internal factors and failure to external
factors. (Made up by self-enhancement and self-esteem).
What cultural differences were reported about self-serving biases?
What cultural explanations were discussed to support these
differences? correct answers >> Western cultures show more
self-serving biases. Individualistic cultures emphasize personal
achievement, high self-esteem, and self-enhancement.
1. (Cross, 1977) demonstrated this bias when they asked
American college professors to evaluate how good they were at
being a professor. 94% stated that they felt they were better than
average (literally impossible).
1.5 Also seen in elementary children, high school students, &
working adults (Taylor & Brown, 1988).
2. 93% of CAN have high self-esteem vs 55% of JPN (Heine et al.,
1999)
,3. Self-serving biases far less common in East Asians than in
Westerners (Noraskkunkit & Kalick, 2002).
4. In a study to recall memories including successes and failures,
Americans listed more successes than failures (62% vs 38%)
whereas JPN listed about the same wins as losses (48% vs 52%).
What were some of the cultural origins proposed for cultural
differences in motivation? PROXIMATE EXPLANATIONS correct
answers >> Proximate Explanations
1. Parent-child interactions & teachings: COL cultures have higher
INTD & group orientations. They believe that if they reinforce high
self-esteem, it'll be difficult to teach humility. As opposed to IND
cultures that reinforce high self-esteem and "uniqueness."
EVIDENCE: Miller et al., 2002 Researchers interviewed parents in
Taiwan and the U.S. about their attitudes toward child-rearing.
Americans viewed self-esteem as central to child-rearing as a
positive quality that enhances children's development and should
be cultivated by the parents. This was evident in the focus on
strengths in American parents' stories. In contrast, the Taiwanese
had negative things to say about concepts related to self-esteem.
This is evident in the Taiwanese parents' stories which drew the
children's attention to areas that needed correcting.
What were some of the cultural origins proposed for cultural
differences in motivation? DISTAL EXPLANATIONS correct
answers >> Distal Explanations:
2. Societal Norms & Messages: IND cultures value high
independence & self-reliance which pushes for a high value of
self-enhancement.
^Stems from the Protestant belief (in Western cultures) of
predestination which claims that before a person is born it is
already determined whether he or she will be one of the fortunate
,"elect" to go to heaven. The primary cue that a person was part of
the elect was that he or she possessed absolute certainty in this
fact. Any doubt whether an individual was of the elect was proof
that the person was not so people became highly motivated to
strive for self-enhancement.
EVIDENCE: In a study, in which baseline SE for JPN and CAN was
taken, determined that CAN SE > JPN SE. After moving (JPN to
CAN and CAN to JPN), results showed that the JPN had an +
increase in SE as a result of more SE boosts found in daily life,
while the CAN had a - decrease in SE as a result of less SE boosts
found in daily life.
^Re-emphasizes that the value
What is 'saving face' and how is this related to individualistic vs.
collectivistic cultures? correct answers >> Saving face refers
to avoiding embarrassment or preserving one's reputation. Face
is kind of like respect, credibility, but also like reputation given to
us by others. The term saving face aims to maintain social
standing in the eyes of others.
It is more important in collectivistic cultures where maintaining
harmony and social relationships is valued.
This is because face is earned based on how well one thinks of
others and fulfills social obligations/expectations which in COL
culture revolve around the interdependence of social groups.
IND cultures don't place high value INTD so, face is more
important in COL cultures.
It is easier to lose than gain it.
, How is 'face' related to personal or group success/failure and
'prevention/promotion orientation' for North Americans and
Asians? correct answers >> Asians focus on group
success/failure and prevention orientation because the loss of
face is one of those bad things people are motivated to avoid.
That is, they focus their efforts on things they did not do well in
hopes of increasing their social standing/face.
North Americans focus on personal success/failure and promotion
orientation. That is, they strive for opportunities for advancement
and focus their efforts on things they can do well.
EVIDENCE: In a study (Heine et al., 2001b) researchers aimed to
prove whether this was the case. JPN and CAN were asked to
complete a creativity test which they received false feedback on.
After this, they were left in a room with another creativity test and
timed how long they persisted on the task. CAN persisted much
longer after success than failure, while JPN were more interested
in working on the things they did poorly on to improve themselves
and be less likely to fail in the future.
How are childhood successes and failures viewed by Taiwan vs.
American parents? correct answers >> Taiwanese parents
attribute success/failure to effort and ability. American parents
attribute success/failure to external factors and luck.
How is motivation influenced by having an entity or incremental
theory of the self and the world? correct answers >> Entity
theory: belief that world traits and environments are fixed.
CORRECT ANSWERS 2025/2026
What are self-enhancement, self-esteem, and self-serving bias?
correct answers >> Self-enhancement: the tendency and
motivation to view oneself positively.
Self-esteem: the positivity of one's overall evaluation of oneself.
Self-serving bias: A tendency for people to view themselves in
unrealistically positive terms. This tendency leads individuals to
attribute success to internal factors and failure to external
factors. (Made up by self-enhancement and self-esteem).
What cultural differences were reported about self-serving biases?
What cultural explanations were discussed to support these
differences? correct answers >> Western cultures show more
self-serving biases. Individualistic cultures emphasize personal
achievement, high self-esteem, and self-enhancement.
1. (Cross, 1977) demonstrated this bias when they asked
American college professors to evaluate how good they were at
being a professor. 94% stated that they felt they were better than
average (literally impossible).
1.5 Also seen in elementary children, high school students, &
working adults (Taylor & Brown, 1988).
2. 93% of CAN have high self-esteem vs 55% of JPN (Heine et al.,
1999)
,3. Self-serving biases far less common in East Asians than in
Westerners (Noraskkunkit & Kalick, 2002).
4. In a study to recall memories including successes and failures,
Americans listed more successes than failures (62% vs 38%)
whereas JPN listed about the same wins as losses (48% vs 52%).
What were some of the cultural origins proposed for cultural
differences in motivation? PROXIMATE EXPLANATIONS correct
answers >> Proximate Explanations
1. Parent-child interactions & teachings: COL cultures have higher
INTD & group orientations. They believe that if they reinforce high
self-esteem, it'll be difficult to teach humility. As opposed to IND
cultures that reinforce high self-esteem and "uniqueness."
EVIDENCE: Miller et al., 2002 Researchers interviewed parents in
Taiwan and the U.S. about their attitudes toward child-rearing.
Americans viewed self-esteem as central to child-rearing as a
positive quality that enhances children's development and should
be cultivated by the parents. This was evident in the focus on
strengths in American parents' stories. In contrast, the Taiwanese
had negative things to say about concepts related to self-esteem.
This is evident in the Taiwanese parents' stories which drew the
children's attention to areas that needed correcting.
What were some of the cultural origins proposed for cultural
differences in motivation? DISTAL EXPLANATIONS correct
answers >> Distal Explanations:
2. Societal Norms & Messages: IND cultures value high
independence & self-reliance which pushes for a high value of
self-enhancement.
^Stems from the Protestant belief (in Western cultures) of
predestination which claims that before a person is born it is
already determined whether he or she will be one of the fortunate
,"elect" to go to heaven. The primary cue that a person was part of
the elect was that he or she possessed absolute certainty in this
fact. Any doubt whether an individual was of the elect was proof
that the person was not so people became highly motivated to
strive for self-enhancement.
EVIDENCE: In a study, in which baseline SE for JPN and CAN was
taken, determined that CAN SE > JPN SE. After moving (JPN to
CAN and CAN to JPN), results showed that the JPN had an +
increase in SE as a result of more SE boosts found in daily life,
while the CAN had a - decrease in SE as a result of less SE boosts
found in daily life.
^Re-emphasizes that the value
What is 'saving face' and how is this related to individualistic vs.
collectivistic cultures? correct answers >> Saving face refers
to avoiding embarrassment or preserving one's reputation. Face
is kind of like respect, credibility, but also like reputation given to
us by others. The term saving face aims to maintain social
standing in the eyes of others.
It is more important in collectivistic cultures where maintaining
harmony and social relationships is valued.
This is because face is earned based on how well one thinks of
others and fulfills social obligations/expectations which in COL
culture revolve around the interdependence of social groups.
IND cultures don't place high value INTD so, face is more
important in COL cultures.
It is easier to lose than gain it.
, How is 'face' related to personal or group success/failure and
'prevention/promotion orientation' for North Americans and
Asians? correct answers >> Asians focus on group
success/failure and prevention orientation because the loss of
face is one of those bad things people are motivated to avoid.
That is, they focus their efforts on things they did not do well in
hopes of increasing their social standing/face.
North Americans focus on personal success/failure and promotion
orientation. That is, they strive for opportunities for advancement
and focus their efforts on things they can do well.
EVIDENCE: In a study (Heine et al., 2001b) researchers aimed to
prove whether this was the case. JPN and CAN were asked to
complete a creativity test which they received false feedback on.
After this, they were left in a room with another creativity test and
timed how long they persisted on the task. CAN persisted much
longer after success than failure, while JPN were more interested
in working on the things they did poorly on to improve themselves
and be less likely to fail in the future.
How are childhood successes and failures viewed by Taiwan vs.
American parents? correct answers >> Taiwanese parents
attribute success/failure to effort and ability. American parents
attribute success/failure to external factors and luck.
How is motivation influenced by having an entity or incremental
theory of the self and the world? correct answers >> Entity
theory: belief that world traits and environments are fixed.
