GLOBAL SELF-ESTEEM AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE HIGH ACHIEVER FOR AUSTRALIAN AND JAPANESE STUDENTS

This study compared two samples of Australian and Japanese University students in regard to global self-esteem and their attitudes toward high achievers, or ''tall poppies.'' It was predicted that the Japanese students would show lower levels of global self-esteem than the Australian students and would be more in favor of seeing high achievers fall. This prediction was based on the assumption that construals of self tend to be more interdependent and less independent in the Japanese culture than in the Australian culture. Results supported this prediction and also indicated a negative correlation between global self-esteem and the ''favor fall'' variable in the Australian sample, which was consistent with theoretical expectation and with previous findings. Results also showed that the Japanese and the Australian students were similar in the extent to which they believed that high achievers should be rewarded.