Search

Issues concerning the influence of cultural variables on self-esteem are discussed. The ethnographies of 16 cultures were compared, and self-esteem proved to be connected to both cultural tightness and collectivism. Causal attributions for failure tended to be more external for more collective cultures, but no connection between failure attributions and cultural tightness was obtained. Cultural tightness or collectiveness was unimportant with causal attributions for success.

The self-concept similarities and differences among Turkish and American university students were investigated. The results suggested similarities across the cultural groups in descriptiveness of self-aspects, whereby relational attributes were rated as more self-descriptive than independent and other-focused and traditional aspects.