Censure avoidance and self-esteem in Japan.

Researchers have suggested modesty and self-criticalness as explanations for low Japanese self-esteem (SE) scores. The author investigated a more fundamental motive, censure avoidance. University students (n = 101) and adults (n = 38) rated hypothetical high SE target individuals on 5 attribute pairs (likeable-unlikable, arrogant-modest, self-centered-considerate, not capable-capable, bad impression-good impression). Participants concurred in their overall unfavorable assessments, suggesting that low Japanese SE scores may stem from perceptions that claiming high SE makes an unfavorable impression on other people, hence from a desire to avoid censure rather than from genuinely low SE.