By  Cai Huajian,Wu Lili
Time: Fri, Mar 18, 2011, 2:00 P.M.
Location: D101

Abstract：Traditional perspectives on culture suggest that the Chinese are collectivistic, valuing relationship harmony and downplaying the importance, particularly the positivity, of the self (Markus &Kitayama, 1991; Heine&Hamamura, 2007; Heine, Lehman, Markus, &Kitayama, 1999).“Modesty brings benefits while haughtiness invites loss,” as a proverb, has been axiomatic for thousands of years. However, news reports and empirical evidence have suggested that the precipitous changes in Chinese culture may have been accompanied by profound changes in Chinese self-views (Simon, 2007; Kwan, Kuang, &Hui, 2009; Lee, Norasakkunkit, Liu, Zhang, & Zhou, 2008).In this investigation, we examined 1）whether modesty, as a norm, is still prevalent in Chinese; 2) whether massive social, economic and culture change taking place in China would lead to increasing narcissism. Four studies provided convergent evidence that modesty is not a norm any more in college students. A fifth study suggested that precipitous social change may lead to increasing narcissism. Taken together, Chinese are not modest any more but becoming more and more narcissistic.