Heine, S. J., Lehman, D. R., Markus, H. R., &Kitayama, S. (1999). Is there a universal need for positive self-regard?. Psychological review, 106(4), 766.
It is assumed that people seek positive self-regard; that is, they are motivated to possess, enhance, and maintain positive self-views. The cross-cultural generalizability of such motivations was addressed by examining Japanese culture. Anthropological, sociological, and psychological analyses revealed that many elements of Japanese culture are incongruent with such motivations. Moreover, the empirical literature provides scant evidence for a need for positive self-regard among Japanese and ...