The Social Impact of Self-Effacing Attributions: The chinese Case

Summary It is argued that a person in Chinese societies who makes self-effacing attributions for his performance should be better liked because his self-effacing attributions support norms whose function is to maintain harmonious interpersonal relationships. To test this hypothesis, Chinese Ss (N = 56) in the experiment watched two confederates (Cs) working on an intellectual task. These Cs were either competent or incompetent and subsequently made either self-effacing or self-enhancing attributions for their performance. Ss then rated them on 12 seven-point bipolar scales tapping likability, competence, and anxiety. Results indicated that a self-effacing C was better liked but rated as less competent than a self-enhancing C. Though in the United States competent persons are better liked, such a finding was not replicated in the present study. Consistent with a self-presentational analysis, incompetent performers who made self-enhancing attributions were perceived as more anxious than performers in the other conditions. The role of culture in producing the attribution results for likability and competence was analyzed.