Cultural differences in attitude toward and effects of self‐doubt

Abstract

It has been argued that the high achievement of Confucian Asian students is at the cost of their psychological well-being, since high self-doubt consistently accompanies their high achievement. However, other researchers cautioned that the attitude toward self-doubt could be different in Asian versus Western cultures. This study examined the debate with a survey of both American and Chinese college students that measured level of self-doubt, attitude toward self-doubt, beliefs about ability, and psychological well-being outcomes. As hypothesized, Chinese students showed a more positive attitude toward self-doubt than American students, despite having higher level of self-doubt. Furthermore, self-doubt engendered less negative consequences on Chinese students' psychological well-being, relative to American students. Implications for theories and research on cultural differences in the effects of self-constructs are discussed.

Self-doubt in Nursing Students

“…5 Several antecedents to self-doubt were identified in the literature, including self-esteem, self-efficacy, locus of control, knowledge, experience, and motivation. 1,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]24,28 All of these antecedents may affect perceived self-doubt while performing a task.…”

From Self-Doubt to Pride: Understanding the Empowering Effects of Delivering School-Based Wellness Programmes for Emerging Adult Facilitators—A Qualitative Study

“…They were given a great deal of choice as to the ways in which they taught their groups, and as to how they divided the roles between themselves as co-leaders. Autonomy is also met when one experiences pleasure, and indeed facilitators reported they enjoyed the process despite their initial concerns [ 31 ].…”

“…Most people experience self-doubt at times without negative consequences, but chronic self-doubt could present a threat to the need for competence, viewed as significantly related to psychological well-being. Substantial evidence suggests that chronic self-doubt is associated with low self-esteem and a sense of unworthiness [ 31 ]. Nevertheless, those researchers claim that some people perceive self-doubts as an important motivator, and that the perceptions regarding self-doubt are culturally dependent.…”

How Do Failed Entrepreneurs Cope with Their Prior Failure When They Seek Subsequent Re-Entry into Serial Entrepreneurship? Failed Entrepreneurs’ Optimism and Defensive Pessimism and Coping Humor as a Moderator

“…Self-doubt, which is an expression of one’s sense of uncertainty about one’s own competence, is a ubiquitous human trait and does not necessarily result in negative consequences, except in the case of serious chronic self-doubt [ 74 ]. It creates obstacles when combined with the demands and uncertainties associated with entrepreneurial processes [ 75 ].…”

“…Individuals tend to adopt defensive strategies and behaviors to cope with self-doubt [ 74 ]. People with high self-doubt are inclined to attribute their personal success or failure to their abilities [ 78 ].…”