title: Cultural differences in self- and other-evaluations and well-being: a study of European and Asian Canadians.
abstract: Anusic, Schimmack, Pinkus, and Lockwood (2009) developed the halo-alpha-beta (HAB) model to separate halo variance from variance due to valid personality traits and other sources of measurement error in self-ratings of personality. The authors used a twin-HAB model of self-ratings and ratings of a partner (friend or dating partner) to test several hypotheses about culture, evaluative biases in self- and other-perceptions, and well-being. Participants were friends or dating partners who reported on their own and their partner's personality and well-being (N = 906 students). European Canadians had higher general evaluative biases (GEB) than Asian Canadians. There were no cultural differences in self-enhancement or other-enhancement. GEB significantly predicted self-ratings of life satisfaction, but not informant ratings of well-being. GEB fully mediated the effect of culture on self-ratings of life satisfaction. The results suggest that North American culture encourages positive biases in self- and other-perceptions. These biases also influence self-ratings of life satisfaction but have a much weaker effect on informant ratings of life satisfaction. The implications of these findings for cultural differences in well-being are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga.
authors.forename: Hyunji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schimmack
authors.forename: Shigehiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oishi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D002170:Canada / Q000208:ethnology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult