Psychology 100 Exam 3 UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions | CORRECT Answers | 2026
• What cultural differences were reported about self-serving biases? What cultural
explanations were discussed to support these differences? -✓✓ Western cultures
show more self-serving biases. Individualistic cultures emphasize personal
achievement, high self-esteem, and self-enhancement.
1. (Cross, 1977) demonstrated this bias when they asked American college
professors to evaluate how good they were at being a professor. 94% stated that
they felt they were better than average (literally impossible).
1.5 Also seen in elementary children, high school students, & working adults
(Taylor & Brown, 1988).
2. 93% of CAN have high self-esteem vs 55% of JPN (Heine et al., 1999)
3. Self-serving biases far less common in East Asians than in Westerners
(Noraskkunkit & Kalick, 2002).
4. In a study to recall memories including successes and failures, Americans listed
more successes than failures (62% vs 38%) whereas JPN listed about the same
wins as losses (48% vs 52%).
• What were some of the cultural origins proposed for cultural differences in
motivation? PROXIMATE EXPLANATIONS -✓✓ Proximate Explanations
1. Parent-child interactions & teachings: COL cultures have higher INTD & group
orientations. They believe that if they reinforce high self-esteem, it'll be difficult to
teach humility. As opposed to IND cultures that reinforce high self-esteem and
"uniqueness."
EVIDENCE: Miller et al., 2002 Researchers interviewed parents in Taiwan and the
U.S. about their attitudes toward child-rearing. Americans viewed self-esteem as
central to child-rearing as a positive quality that enhances children's development
and should be cultivated by the parents. This was evident in the focus on strengths
in American parents' stories. In contrast, the Taiwanese had negative things to say
,about concepts related to self-esteem. This is evident in the Taiwanese parents'
stories which drew the children's attention to areas that needed correcting.
• What were some of the cultural origins proposed for cultural differences in
motivation? DISTAL EXPLANATIONS -✓✓ Distal Explanations:
2. Societal Norms & Messages: IND cultures value high independence & self-
reliance which pushes for a high value of self-enhancement.
^Stems from the Protestant belief (in Western cultures) of predestination which
claims that before a person is born it is already determined whether he or she will
be one of the fortunate "elect" to go to heaven. The primary cue that a person was
part of the elect was that he or she possessed absolute certainty in this fact. Any
doubt whether an individual was of the elect was proof that the person was not so
people became highly motivated to strive for self-enhancement.
EVIDENCE: In a study, in which baseline SE for JPN and CAN was taken,
determined that CAN SE > JPN SE. After moving (JPN to CAN and CAN to JPN),
results showed that the JPN had an + increase in SE as a result of more SE boosts
found in daily life, while the CAN had a - decrease in SE as a result of less SE
boosts found in daily life.
^Re-emphasizes that the value
• What is 'saving face' and how is this related to individualistic vs. collectivistic
cultures? -✓✓ Saving face refers to avoiding embarrassment or preserving one's
reputation. Face is kind of like respect, credibility, but also like reputation given to
us by others. The term saving face aims to maintain social standing in the eyes of
others.
It is more important in collectivistic cultures where maintaining harmony and
social relationships is valued.
,This is because face is earned based on how well one thinks of others and fulfills
social obligations/expectations which in COL culture revolve around the
interdependence of social groups.
IND cultures don't place high value INTD so, face is more important in COL
cultures.
It is easier to lose than gain it.
• How is 'face' related to personal or group success/failure and
'prevention/promotion orientation' for North Americans and Asians? -✓✓ Asians
focus on group success/failure and prevention orientation because the loss of face
is one of those bad things people are motivated to avoid. That is, they focus their
efforts on things they did not do well in hopes of increasing their social
standing/face.
North Americans focus on personal success/failure and promotion orientation. That
is, they strive for opportunities for advancement and focus their efforts on things
they can do well.
EVIDENCE: In a study (Heine et al., 2001b) researchers aimed to prove whether
this was the case. JPN and CAN were asked to complete a creativity test which
they received false feedback on. After this, they were left in a room with another
creativity test and timed how long they persisted on the task. CAN persisted much
longer after success than failure, while JPN were more interested in working on the
things they did poorly on to improve themselves and be less likely to fail in the
future.
• How are childhood successes and failures viewed by Taiwan vs. American
parents? -✓✓ Taiwanese parents attribute success/failure to effort and ability.
American parents attribute success/failure to external factors and luck.
, • How is motivation influenced by having an entity or incremental theory of the
self and the world? -✓✓ Entity theory: belief that world traits and environments
are fixed.
Incremental theory: belief that world traits and environments can be developed
through effort.
Motivation is influenced by these beliefs -- eventually relates to primary and
secondary controls of agency.
• How is self-enhancement influenced by interdependent and independent self-
orientation? -✓✓ Interdependent self-orientation: self-enhancement through group
success. Independent self-orientation: self-enhancement through personal
achievement.
• What is the relationship of primary and secondary control to Western and Eastern
cultures? How are these related to entity and incremental theory and independent
and interdependent views of the self? -✓✓ Primary control: changing the
environment to fit one's goals. Related to feelings of increased agency, internal
locus of control, and incremental theory. Western cultures emphasize primary
control. "We can better the world"
Secondary control: Align themselves with existing realities, leaving the
circumstances unchanged but exerting control over their psychological impact.
Related to an external locus of control, increased personal development, and fixed
theory. Non-Western (Eastern) cultures emphasize secondary control. "There's
only so much we can do"
• What were the key findings in the study of choosing aerobics classes for
Americans and the Japanese? -✓✓ Americans were more likely to ignore the
Questions | CORRECT Answers | 2026
• What cultural differences were reported about self-serving biases? What cultural
explanations were discussed to support these differences? -✓✓ Western cultures
show more self-serving biases. Individualistic cultures emphasize personal
achievement, high self-esteem, and self-enhancement.
1. (Cross, 1977) demonstrated this bias when they asked American college
professors to evaluate how good they were at being a professor. 94% stated that
they felt they were better than average (literally impossible).
1.5 Also seen in elementary children, high school students, & working adults
(Taylor & Brown, 1988).
2. 93% of CAN have high self-esteem vs 55% of JPN (Heine et al., 1999)
3. Self-serving biases far less common in East Asians than in Westerners
(Noraskkunkit & Kalick, 2002).
4. In a study to recall memories including successes and failures, Americans listed
more successes than failures (62% vs 38%) whereas JPN listed about the same
wins as losses (48% vs 52%).
• What were some of the cultural origins proposed for cultural differences in
motivation? PROXIMATE EXPLANATIONS -✓✓ Proximate Explanations
1. Parent-child interactions & teachings: COL cultures have higher INTD & group
orientations. They believe that if they reinforce high self-esteem, it'll be difficult to
teach humility. As opposed to IND cultures that reinforce high self-esteem and
"uniqueness."
EVIDENCE: Miller et al., 2002 Researchers interviewed parents in Taiwan and the
U.S. about their attitudes toward child-rearing. Americans viewed self-esteem as
central to child-rearing as a positive quality that enhances children's development
and should be cultivated by the parents. This was evident in the focus on strengths
in American parents' stories. In contrast, the Taiwanese had negative things to say
,about concepts related to self-esteem. This is evident in the Taiwanese parents'
stories which drew the children's attention to areas that needed correcting.
• What were some of the cultural origins proposed for cultural differences in
motivation? DISTAL EXPLANATIONS -✓✓ Distal Explanations:
2. Societal Norms & Messages: IND cultures value high independence & self-
reliance which pushes for a high value of self-enhancement.
^Stems from the Protestant belief (in Western cultures) of predestination which
claims that before a person is born it is already determined whether he or she will
be one of the fortunate "elect" to go to heaven. The primary cue that a person was
part of the elect was that he or she possessed absolute certainty in this fact. Any
doubt whether an individual was of the elect was proof that the person was not so
people became highly motivated to strive for self-enhancement.
EVIDENCE: In a study, in which baseline SE for JPN and CAN was taken,
determined that CAN SE > JPN SE. After moving (JPN to CAN and CAN to JPN),
results showed that the JPN had an + increase in SE as a result of more SE boosts
found in daily life, while the CAN had a - decrease in SE as a result of less SE
boosts found in daily life.
^Re-emphasizes that the value
• What is 'saving face' and how is this related to individualistic vs. collectivistic
cultures? -✓✓ Saving face refers to avoiding embarrassment or preserving one's
reputation. Face is kind of like respect, credibility, but also like reputation given to
us by others. The term saving face aims to maintain social standing in the eyes of
others.
It is more important in collectivistic cultures where maintaining harmony and
social relationships is valued.
,This is because face is earned based on how well one thinks of others and fulfills
social obligations/expectations which in COL culture revolve around the
interdependence of social groups.
IND cultures don't place high value INTD so, face is more important in COL
cultures.
It is easier to lose than gain it.
• How is 'face' related to personal or group success/failure and
'prevention/promotion orientation' for North Americans and Asians? -✓✓ Asians
focus on group success/failure and prevention orientation because the loss of face
is one of those bad things people are motivated to avoid. That is, they focus their
efforts on things they did not do well in hopes of increasing their social
standing/face.
North Americans focus on personal success/failure and promotion orientation. That
is, they strive for opportunities for advancement and focus their efforts on things
they can do well.
EVIDENCE: In a study (Heine et al., 2001b) researchers aimed to prove whether
this was the case. JPN and CAN were asked to complete a creativity test which
they received false feedback on. After this, they were left in a room with another
creativity test and timed how long they persisted on the task. CAN persisted much
longer after success than failure, while JPN were more interested in working on the
things they did poorly on to improve themselves and be less likely to fail in the
future.
• How are childhood successes and failures viewed by Taiwan vs. American
parents? -✓✓ Taiwanese parents attribute success/failure to effort and ability.
American parents attribute success/failure to external factors and luck.
, • How is motivation influenced by having an entity or incremental theory of the
self and the world? -✓✓ Entity theory: belief that world traits and environments
are fixed.
Incremental theory: belief that world traits and environments can be developed
through effort.
Motivation is influenced by these beliefs -- eventually relates to primary and
secondary controls of agency.
• How is self-enhancement influenced by interdependent and independent self-
orientation? -✓✓ Interdependent self-orientation: self-enhancement through group
success. Independent self-orientation: self-enhancement through personal
achievement.
• What is the relationship of primary and secondary control to Western and Eastern
cultures? How are these related to entity and incremental theory and independent
and interdependent views of the self? -✓✓ Primary control: changing the
environment to fit one's goals. Related to feelings of increased agency, internal
locus of control, and incremental theory. Western cultures emphasize primary
control. "We can better the world"
Secondary control: Align themselves with existing realities, leaving the
circumstances unchanged but exerting control over their psychological impact.
Related to an external locus of control, increased personal development, and fixed
theory. Non-Western (Eastern) cultures emphasize secondary control. "There's
only so much we can do"
• What were the key findings in the study of choosing aerobics classes for
Americans and the Japanese? -✓✓ Americans were more likely to ignore the
