| Although members from all cultures want to be viewed positively by others, the desire for a positive self-image may manifest itself differently and produce different patterns of behavioral tendencies in East Asian and European American cultures. Four studies were conducted for two purposes. The first is to examine the dimensions and components of face-concern---i.e., one's concern with how one is being evaluated by others, in the two cultures. The second is to study whether face-concern serves as a more important motivator for test performance to Asian Americans than to European Americans. The results show both similarities and differences in the structure of face-concern across the two cultures, and confirm that Asian Americans are more motivated to perform well by face-concern, particularly concern with family-face, than European Americans. Future directions and the implications of these findings are discussed. |
