Abstract
The study investigated the hypothesis that Chinese students would be motivated best through ego involvement and North Americans through social competitiveness. Nine Chinese, born in Hong Kong, and nine native North Americans, all English-speaking male undergraduates, performed a letter-cancellation task under each of three conditions: after an ego-involving comment, after a comment inspiring competition, and after no comment. An analysis of variance indicated a significant main effect of condition (F = 3.59, df = 2,24, p <.05) and a significant Condition by Race interaction (F = 4.83, df = 2,24, p <.025). Scheffé tests confirmed the hypothesis.
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The author wishes to thank Dr. N. Taylor of Sir George Williams University for her helpful suggestions and criticism of the text.
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Phizicky, H. Effect of censure, ego involvement, and rivalry on letter-cancellation performance by Chinese and North Americans. Psychon Sci 28, 219–221 (1972). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328716
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328716