Self-enhancement tendencies among the Japanese were examined with regard to both direct and indirect self-evaluation. Self-esteem and the level of motivation toward recovering one's lowered self-esteem (manipulated through success-failure feedback after a creative ability task) were examined in an experiment with 99 participants. The results revealed that direct self-enhancement (rating the self positively on trait dimensions) was positively related to self-esteem, although indirect self-enhancement was related both to the kind of feedback received and self-esteem level. More specifically, participants evaluated their future, and their in-group members positively when they received negative feedback, and derived more motivation toward recovering self-esteem. The study contributes to the understanding of the role played by direct and indirect self-enhancement in the psychology of the Japanese.
