Mortality salience effects on modesty and relative self-effacement

Terror management theory argues that mortality salience (MS) enhances adherence to cultural norms. Recent cross-cultural research has suggested that Japanese culture emphasizes modesty and the enhancement of important others compared to the self. Thus, it was predicted that Japanese would show increased modesty and relative self-effacement in response to MS. In addition, the moderating effects of degree of enculturation were examined in two studies investigating Japanese undergraduates. Those strongly enculturated to the Japanese worldview showed a tendency to evaluate success more negatively (Study 1) and self-efface more relative to their close friends (Study 2). A view which regards both Easterners' self-effacement and Westerners' self-enhancement after MS to be a reflection of efforts to fit into cultural norm is presented.